The Pioneers
by Serenity95
Summary: Alexandra Clark has just moved to New York from Chicago to attend University. After moving in with her sister and learning just what New York is capable of, she soon discovers how one person's life can change in an instant. Befriending Spider man and Peter Parker had never felt so right and easy but she soon realises that everything really does comes with a price.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi Everyone! This is a little story I was inspired to write after recently watching the Amazing Spider man and the other previous Spider man movies for the millionth time. I've been a writer on here previously but I stopped for a long time and decided to start again for some reason, I guess my imagination just couldn't stop hounding me. Anyway, I do not own Spider man -they belong to the genius of Stan Lee and his artists and team, and of course the movies belong to Marc Webb and Sam Raimi. But please, enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Which is a lot. Thank you!_

_The Pioneers_

**~Chapter One~**

"_Oh, this has gotta be the good life_

_This has gotta be the good life_

_This could really be a good life, good life"_

_-One Republic, Good life._

_Super absorbable or ultra-comfort?_

The feeling of confliction hung deep in Alexandra's stomach as she stared down upon the two packets of tampons.

It was only for her purse, and then she would buy others when she reached New York. So why did she stand here in utter contemplation whilst chewing her thumb like a child?

She huffed and picked up the decorated packet and squashed them into her small shoulder bag before bending down and slamming her exceedingly full suitcase closed. Picking it up and lugging it off the bed, she made her way through her father's shabby home and strolled to the front of the house, where her father stood waiting by the front door.

Alex, being the awkward one, stood there not meeting her father's eyes and instead peered outside, noticing the bright sun of Chicago's late afternoon.

Her father clearing his throat made Alex realise he was indicating for her attention. She snapped her head up to him and stood still. _So this was how it was going to be_, Alex mentally sighed, _awkward and quiet?_

"Well…let's get your stuff in the car," He said lamely.

Alex nodded, "Yep."

As Alex made her way outside, after refusing to let her dad struggle with her large suitcase which she eventually gave into, opened the car door and slunk into the passenger seat. She wished she had more time to say a proper goodbye, maybe she could've had a going away party? She could've invited her uncle Rodney and his wife Beatrice, her cousins and her friend's would have had the chance to throw her a special gathering where she would actually been told how missed she was going to be.

Her father drove her in silence to Chicago's bustling airport where he would then ditch her on a one way flight to New York.

As she followed him through the gates and check in point, she finally managed to get him to stop moving as she discovered herself in her right terminal.

There was a pregnant pause between them before her father sighed and Alex perched herself on the top of her suitcase. She folded her arms and swallowed the saliva in her throat.

"Listen Al, I'll miss you very much. I know it's hard for you to leave your friends and school so suddenly but I really think going to live with your mom will be _good for you_."

Alex nodded slowly and sniffed, rubbing her nose until it turned red.

"Dad, I'll miss you too," she managed out and stepped towards him. Charlie Clark knew his daughter was telling the truth, they were a team. He placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him and his ageing appearance. She gave a sad smiled and let herself be pulled into a hug, savouring the feeling of warmth that her bear-like father gave.

He beamed down at her as they pulled away, holding Alex at arm's length, both arms planted firmly on her shoulders.

"Now you say hi to your sister for me and take care of yourself ya hear?" He smiled.

Alex gave a chuckle, "Sure Dad, and don't worry, I definitely will."

As they stood with each other, an overhead speaker announced loudly that the flight Alex was supposed to be taking was boarding passengers in the next five minutes.

Charlie took his daughter's word and swung his arms, "Well, I guess you should head off now. Don't want to miss your flight."

Alex breathed out and bit the inside of her cheek, "Wow, I'm going to miss you dad."

"Don't you dare start cryin' or I'll start cryin' –oh far out Al, come here."

Alex threw her arms around her dad's waist and held onto him, mimicking many other people bidding their goodbyes around them.

As she pulled away she gave her father a bright smile, wiped her cheeks and grabbed her suitcase handle.

With a final goodbye and wave, she was off.

Making her way through the boarding gate alongside other couples and individual passengers, Alex strolled along with the thought of her father and her new life in New York with her mother.

Like everyone else she showed her flight ticket, found her designated seat and strapped herself in. Holding onto her shoulder bag tightly she gazed out the window and watched as the sun began to turn orange and cast shadows over the air field.

Moving further away from the women next to her she wondered if she would stay with her mother or sister. The agreement was that she would stay with her sister in her apartment during the week as it was closer to Empire State University which she would be attending, and then probably visiting her mom on the weekend or afternoon.

Alex grimaced, it was almost like she was thirteen again, switching back and forth between her newly divorced parent's houses.

Instead she was now eighteen and dreading the new home she would have to make in New York.

Chicago was fine; there was nothing wrong with where she lived. The sudden urge from her mother wanting her to live with her was understandable –she hadn't properly lived with her mother since she was fifteen.

Leaning against the seat she looked up at the small screen playing some latest action movie which she lazily began to watch, ignoring the homesick feeling she could feel seeping through her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! Here is the second chapter hooray! And yep I still don't own Spider-man._

~Chapter Two~

"_And the moon is the only light we'll see_

_No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid_

_Just as long as you stand, stand by me"_

_-John Lennon, Stand by Me_

The small nap Alexandra took on the plane did nothing for her insomnia. She was anxious about seeing her mother –yes she was excited to see both her _and_ her sister but she couldn't help feel nervous that her mother would be different.

Her sister would meet her at the airport just as she had promised, and then she would go back to her apartment and on Saturday she would finally go and see her –

If she had the courage.

The last time she saw her mother ended in disaster, with Alex screaming from the top of the stairs that she never wanted to see her or her mother's new boyfriend ever again.

Thankfully though her mother had broken up with whoever he was and moved on by herself. Alex was naïve then, just fifteen and she didn't know any better. Even though they had made up since then and Alex had seen her at birthdays and Christmas', their relationship remained strained and tense.

The plane had landed in New York and Alex had since moved from her seat and made her way to receive her lone suitcase from the luggage claim.

She stood with her back to everyone else as she opened her shoulder bag and searched for that tampon packet she had thrown in there.

"Alex!"

Alex jumped and in a sudden move, threw the packet of personal hygienic lady items on the airport floor. Alex's eyes widened and she quickly picked them up, shoving the small box into her pocket and swivelled around.

There her sister stood, clad in her patrol woman's police uniform, standing with a large bright smile on her face. Alex, unable to control herself, pushed past a man with glasses and his wife and leaped into her older sister's arms.

"I've missed you so much!" she murmured into her shoulder.

"It's always great to see you pipsqueak!" Her sister beamed and cheekily slapped her butt.

Alex laughed, "Jessica!"

Jessica Clark, twenty two years old and a current policewoman for the New York Police Department, smiled at her sister and patted her cheek.

"Gee Al, I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but what the heck –I'm just so damn happy to see my baby sister again!" she exclaimed.

Alex pulled away from the woman and reached behind her, taking hold of her suitcase so that it didn't go missing.

"I hope you like spaghetti, I made it this afternoon especially for you," Jessica said, pulling her orange hair out of its bun and redoing it so it sat at the nape of her neck.

Jessica suddenly slapped Alex's hand away from the suitcase and tutted, "I'll do this, now let's get you home!"

Alex couldn't help but smile at the irony laced within her sister's words. Home was miles away, back in her father's small house where she should be watching TV and eating potato chips with him. She was going to find it hard referring to her sister's small apartment as "Home."

Alex threw her arm around her elder sister's shoulders and felt the polyester black fabric, tracing the NYPD badge that was stitched to the fabric on her arm.

As Alexandra sat with her back against her sister's old car seat, she closed her eyes. Jessica chatted away, telling her about her days as a cop and often asking her questions about their father and his wellbeing.

"So Lexie, are you looking forward to studying here?"

The question broke Alex's daze and she hesitated to answer.

"I'm…scared," she answered honestly.

Jessica's eyebrows furrowed, "Why? You make friends fast."

Alex smiled, "Well, I'm just, it's different ya know."

"Oh, I see," Jessica said, and looked at her for a quick second, giving her a loving smile before turning back to the road.

As they continued to drive in silence, Alex kept her head looking out the window, taking in the gorgeous city of New York, the lights and tall buildings. She'd been here once as a child and a few times over the years to visit her mother yet she'd only seen very few places. It was beautiful, the city was beautiful.

Watching the buildings flash past, Alex slowly moved her hand to grip Jessica's pale one.

_At least she made the effort to clean up for me_, Alex thought as she made her way tiredly into the small and dark apartment.

Jessica had promised on their way up the elevator that she had cleaned and dusted specifically for her, and she was quite proud of her work.

Alex loved her sister very much, so dearly that the bond she felt with her made it almost inexpressible to display her sisterly affection for her. They were close and they had so much to catch up on. They had lived separately for four years now, ever since Jessica turned eighteen and moved to New York to become an actress on Broadway but instead found her calling in the defence department.

"Well, welcome home," Jessica said as she flicked on the lights, revealing a clean and homely organised room. There was couch facing a TV in the far corner by the large window that peered out onto the city of New York. The area wasn't fancy but it wasn't horrible –Jessica was lucky enough to get a high floor so that she could see the buildings and lights. To the left was a small kitchen, with a counter displaying a kettle and toaster. Plates lined in cabinets and a small wooden table with two chairs stood near the window as well.

_Was she ever lonely?_

Alex smiled as she surveyed the room, her attention being caught by a photo covered wall. She moved towards it and began to take in every detail of each frame, which held pictures of Jessica and her co-workers, pictures of her when she was little and Alex. She even had a large framed picture of Alex on her graduation day back in Chicago, shaking hands with the principle and smiling with tears in her eyes. She had cried so much that day.

There were pictures of their parents and them on vacation, pictures everywhere of everything.

"So…do you like it?" Jessica asked, smiling in anticipation for her sister's answer.

Alex turned away from the wall with a large smile and rubbed her hands together, "it's gorgeous Jess."

Jessica breathed a sigh of relief and wiped her forehead, "Phew! I thought I was going to have to kick you out for a second!"

Alex laughed at Jess's attempts at jokes and continued to look around the room. There was a door on one side of the room with another door next to it, presumably being Jess's room and Alex's new one.

She made her way towards a small, oak desk that rested near the couch, obviously Jessica's version of a study. Papers and documents were sprawled over it, with pens and drawings littering the desk so that no brown wood could be seen underneath.

Alex looked down in curiosity as Jessica paid no attention to her, searching through her pantry to find something to eat. As she opened up a packet of microwavable noodles, Jessica looked over to her sister. Smiling at her sister's interested expression, she did a double take to seen what had made her so thoughtful.

Leaving the noodles, she made her way toward Alex, peering over her shoulder.

Alex was mesmerised. She had heard stories in Chicago but had thought nothing of them; after all it was happening in New York and not in her home state.

The sketched drawing of a fabric covered face intrigued her and she couldn't look away. The 'Wanted for Questioning' made it seem almost fake –yet it was one of her sister's own copies she had received and placed on her work desk.

"Who is that?" Alex asked, staring down at the large eyes and sketched crosshatching of the fabric.

"That?" Jessica replied, pulling out her orange hair and flipping it over her shoulder, "That's Spiderman."


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello again! Here is another chapter, please enjoy! And once again do not own Spider-man, unfortunately. _

~Chapter Three~

"_No matter what we breed_

_We still are made of greed_

_This is my kingdom come"_

_-Imagine Dragons, Demons._

Alex woke up to a lively Jessica practising her singing in the kitchen. She had opened Alex's bedroom door so in an effort to get her to wake up after hopefully hearing her loud rendition of '_The Hills are Alive with the sound of Music.'_ Alex rolled over and groaned, not used to the intrusion and pulled her pillow over her head.

"Come on sleepy head, I have to go soon and you need to be up and ready before I leave!" Jessica called from the kitchen.

Alex sighed and sat up, leaning on her elbows. Her brown hair was messy and tangled, almost skunk tail like.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched, looking around her new room to see if she could hurry the process of getting used to it. It was plain and had been used as a study before Jessica cleaned it out to make a bedroom for her. A plain bed sat near the open window where Alex could see the city, and Jess had even gone to the trouble of asking her partner at work to sell her his old desk so she could put it in the room for Alex to use.

So far the sheets and pillow she slept with were an ordinary white colour and so were her walls. There were no pictures decorating the walls like in the living room and the desk was empty except for Alex's copy of '_A Moveable Feast_' by Ernest Hemingway –which Alex had taken with her on the plane.

"_The hills are alive, with the sound of MUSIC!"_

The high pitched gurgle that erupted from Jessica's mouth that she considered singing almost deafened Alex as she jumped at the shocking horribleness of it.

"I can't believe you thought you'd make it to Broadway!" Alex yelled from her room.

She heard Jessica laugh in reply.

"I know I make a better cop sweetie," she chuckled. Alex shook her head and lifted her arms up, stretching them above her head. She stood up and felt her back loosen as she wondered to the window. She peered out, noticing the fire escape that rested outside of it and noted that she had an escape route if Jessica decided to sing again.

She pulled down her blue pyjama shorts from where they had ridden up due to her rolling around in her sleep and adjusted her matching blue singlet so that none of her womanly parts decided to greet Jessica as well.

She padded into the living room/kitchen and took a seat at the small dining table where Jessica had laid out a bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice for her.

"Thanks Jess," Alex said and began to eat her breakfast hungrily, as she had gone to bed quickly after arriving in the apartment.

"You are very welcome honey."

They ate together and shared conversation before Alex found herself dreading Jessica's soon absence. She planned to go look around town later on, as University didn't start until September and it was late August, so she had at least a week until she started her studies.

"So," Jessica began, her mouth full of cereal, "What are you studying again?"

Alex took a sip of her orange juice, "I'm taking Ethnic studies and Entomology."

Jessica's eyebrows shot so far up her head Alex thought they would disappear.

"Someone's a smart cookie!" she beamed, "I always knew you would do something scientific –actually I always knew you would cure some sort of disease or something. You were the smart one out of us two."

Alex laughed, "Well, you did have a pretty convinced when you packed your bags and headed here to become famous."

"Yeah, except then I saw how much more rewarding this job was instead," Jessica said, looking into her breakfast bowl.

"I think I might go have a look around today," Alex explained.

"Oh yeah, that's good, go get some stuff for your room it looks like crap sorry."

Alex chortled and continued to eat and sip away at her juice until Jess finally looked up at the clock.

"Would you look at that!" she exclaimed, "Time to go!"

She walked over to the coat hook and strapped her gun belt to her uniform covered hip. She pulled her hair into a bun and tucked it into her cap, giving Alex a grin.

She grabbed her badge off the counter and kissing Alex on the cheek.

"I'll see you later, I finish late tonight."

"Okay, be careful," Alex said.

"I always am," she replied.

"Keys are on the counter over here by the way!" she called from the doorway and then closed it shut. Alex sat at the table by herself for a few moments before dragging her body to the shower and beginning her day.

The hot water calmed the muscles in her neck down and soothed her sore neck from sleeping incorrectly. She stepped out of the shower and looked around for a towel, grumbling when she realised that she hadn't brought one with her. Slipping out of the bathroom, still naked and shivering due to the coldness of the room, she sprinted across the living room, through the kitchen and to the cupboard where Jessica kept fresh towels.

Wrapping a fluffy blue towel around herself, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to face the window.

Only to find that the window was wide open and anyone, _especially in the building next door_ could've seen her naked frame as she ran around the room.

She flushed bright red and pushed back her slight damp hair, hoping that no one would've walked past their window next door and seen her.

She moved back to her room, stopping along the picture covered wall. She looked at the family photo of Jess, her and their parents. A very young looking Charlie Clark stood bear like and warmly with his children, but you could almost see the coldness between him and her mother.

"Well dad, I think I might go shopping today," she said to his picture and then left, leaving to change and explore the shops New York offered.

Outside was warm and she exited her room in jeans and a plain flannel shirt. With her wallet and tampons placed firmly in her shoulder bag she left the apartment, picking up the keys Jessica had left for her. She backed out of the door, sniffling as she did and yawned. Pulling the door shut, she locked it and placed the keys in her pocket, resting next to her phone.

She walked down the carpeted hallway, studying other apartment doors. Alex trudged along, swaying slightly to keep her occupied. It was only 10 o'clock and already New York was swarming with people. From the window next to the elevator she watched as tourists and workers moved around next to each other.

The ding of the elevator sounded and the metal doors opened. Stepping inside she pressed the ground floor button and waited for the doors to close themselves.

"Hold the door!"

Alex rested against the back of the elevator, surprised someone had emerged from their apartment so late. Alex took this as her cue to throw out her hand and stop the doors from closing.

A boy –or she should think man, rounded the corner, headphones dangling from around his neck and brown hair all messy.

He gave her a nod of thanks and stepped inside the elevator, moving to press the ground floor button only to realise it was already green.

Alex gave him a small smile and faced the elevator door again, waiting for it to close.

It finally did with a shuddering creak and it began to descend to the lobby. They stood in awkward silence, as Alex found she was doing a lot lately.

The elevator finally opened to reveal the bottom floor where a set of post box aligned one wall, with little key holes to unlock them with. Alex moved to them, leaving the annoying metal box and man and reaching for her keys.

As she pulled them out of her pocket, her fingers slipped and she dropped them onto the floor. With a small groan, she bent down to pick them up, but a hand had already beaten her to it.

Alex stared at his shoes. They were worn and looked old. She then looked at his jean covered ankles until she finally raised her head to look at the boy from the elevator.

Bending and looking up in an unflattering position, she stared at him with no smile. Especially not the one he was giving her.

"Here, you dropped these," he informed and Alex stood up straight.

"Thanks," she replied and took them from his outstretched palm.

She turned to the small metal mailboxes and looked for her apartment number.

"_103…_gotcha," she mumbled.

She slammed the keys into the box and opened it, pulling out the mail and what she assumed was bills for Jess. Locking it and putting the mail in her bag, she turned to find the elevator man standing there.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

_Do you expect me to give you something or…?_

He looked back at her with the same eyebrow raised, "Um…sorry but I need to get to my mailbox."

Alex's eyes widened in embarrassment as she realised she was blocking his way and stepped around him.

"Sorry," she bit her lip.

"It's okay," he responded, giving her a little smile. She returned it and then took it as her cue to leave.

Moving away from the man and the boxes, she walked to the entrance door and bid goodbye to the doorman.

She was greeted by New York's bustling streets, although there weren't many people pushing and shoving past her as she expected. The apartment building was just like the others, small and brown, with many windows and fire escapes lining both sides of the building.

Yellow taxi's drove past her and people crossed the streets holding brief cases and paper cups with coffee brands printed on the sides.

Alex shoved her hands in her jean pockets and began to stroll down the street, wondering what the hell she would buy with the little money she had brought with her.

Alexandra Clark had never seen so many shops in her life.

She had four bags full of different things, mostly all for her bland room. She had brought pencils, books for university and photo frames for her room, a blue pillow case and matching bed linen. A small lamp and books from the book store across the road.

She was actually quite pleased with herself.

Alex had managed to lug the bags to a nearby diner where she waited to be served for a cup of coffee, hoping it would brighten her up. Behind the counter she watched as a young woman her age made and brewed drinks for the people waiting in the store. She didn't look happy, as she was working with only another lady who didn't seem interested in anything except giving customers dirty looks.

As the line decreased and Alex shuffled forward, she could finally get that coffee she was begging for.

"Hi," she said to the red head, looking at her nametag which read _'MJ'. _

The girl smiled back and waited for her to order.

"Can I get a coffee, just plain coffee…" she trailed.

"Just a plain coffee?" the girl repeated, "Not a mocha or black or-"

"Just plain black coffee yeah….with milk?"

MJ looked at Alex weirdly and nodded, unsure of what was wrong with her. Meanwhile Alex felt like faking a seizure just so she could avoid any other interaction with her. Not thinking rudely, it was just that Alex didn't know how to converse with strangers, often being nice yet not comfortable.

_I so got that trait from my mother._

Grabbing her coffee and bolting out of the café, MJ watched as the strange girl crossed the street without looking and walked away, disappearing round the corner.

She had better things to do, and with that began to wipe down he coffee machine.

Alex crossed the street and joined the crowd of people walking towards their office buildings. Not knowing where to go, she followed them and looked around.

_New York really is amazing, _she admired.

She felt almost dizzy as she gazed up at the tall buildings that reflected the sun light, making her eyes hurt. As she continued to walk down the pathway, she noticed a large building with the logo OSCORP stamped on it.

"That's so cool," she murmured to herself, clutching the bags closer to her side. Shrugging, she found herself a seat and rested her bags next to her, still gripping them so that they didn't get pinched.

Sipping on her coffee she appreciated how lovely it tasted and pulled out her phone.

There was a message from her father, wishing her a safe flight and a goodnight. She smiled at the grammatical errors and shoved it back in her pocket, admiring her surroundings.

"Now," she began, "Where's the masked hero huh?"

As the hours passed, Alex grew tried with them. Her feet ached from practically walking all over the city and her hands hurt from holding onto the bags.

I really am a weakling, she thought wearily.

She entered the apartment and checked her watch, "Only five o'clock."

She made a beeline for the elevator, only to grow impatient and take the stairs instead. She puffed up the stairs and had to remind herself how embarrassing she sounded. She finally made it to the tenth floor and leant against the stair rail.

"Holy crap, I am so unfit," she said to herself and pushed her hair back.

The tenth floor was quiet and she fumbled along the bright yellow wall that led to her sister's apartment.

Pulling the keys out of her pocket she went to place them in the lock, only to drop them.

Alexandra huffed with frustration and angrily bent down to pick them up, but once again for the second time that day another hand had already picked them up.

Alex straightened and stared at the boy from this morning. He was holding the keys with an uncertain grin on his face.

"You again," Alex began only to realise how impolite she sounded, "thank you for picking up my keys…again."

The boy shrugged but then his smile faltered to a look of confusion, "Wait a minute, where is Jessica? Did she move out?"

Alex wasn't surprised that this boy was asking about her sister, she was after all very good looking and friendly, often making friends everywhere she went.

"Oh, do you know her?" Alex asked.

The boy scratched the back of his neck, "Sort of, I live three doors down, she often threatens to arrest our neighbours son for being too loud on weeknights."

Alex began to laugh. She laughed slowly until it turned into almost hysteria. The boy watched her uncomfortably with worry on his, not knowing to leave her by her door or sneak away while she had a fit.

Alex's laughter died down and she took a deep breath to calm herself, letting out a few extra giggles.

"That is so something Jess would do," she mumbled. Alex wiped a tear from her eye and peered up at the boy.

Realising she looks like an idiot, she blushed and leant against the door.

"Sorry," she said, "Jessica is my sister –I moved in with her."

The boy's face softened and realisation came of him.

"That explains it, oh well it was nice to meet you…?" he waited for her to say her name.

"Oh! I'm Alexandra, but you can call me Alex," she introduced with a smile.

The boy smiled in return and stepped back, heading towards his apartment.

"I'm Peter," he called back and then went inside with a wave.

Alex smiled and nodded. The satisfied girl turned back to the door and unlocked it, making her way inside only to be greeted by an empty apartment.

She sighed and pulled her shoes off, leaving them next to Jessica's flats near the door. She walked to her room and placed the bags by her bed.

"Well, time to get to work," she said aloud and began pulling the bed cover out of its plastic case.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello once again! Here is chapter four, I don't own spider man which sucks because he's my favourite superhero, but anyway please enjoy this chapter! Oh, and please of you have the time -Review! I like to hear what can be done better, but politely if that's cool, I have somewhat of a heart and feelings. _

~Chapter Four~

"_Cause I'm on top of the world, 'ay_

_I'm on top of the world, 'ay_

_Waiting on this for a while now"_

_-Imagine Dragons, On top of the world._

It was Saturday, finally Saturday. Alex and Jessica had spent the past few days of her arrival decorating her room and making sure it was nice and colourful.

Jessica had succeeded to take a day off and taken Alex to the movie theatre where they watched the latest streaming movie and found themselves doubled over in laughter at the back of the cinema.

Alex was beginning to enjoy New York –she didn't know anyone except her sister and her mother and the doorman and Peter from down the hall but other than that she was happy with her own progress.

She had talked to her father last night which left her content and reassured that he was doing just fine without her.

_She had even managed to call up Empire State University and confirm when her classes started. _

She was very pleased with herself.

"We're going to see mom today," Jessica said as she made her way into the kitchen.

Alex's happy mood came to a screeching halt, ran away and threw itself off the Brooklyn Bridge.

Jessica, noticing her sister's unhappy face; pressed her mouth into a tight line and become the stern figure she knew she had to be. She had taken today off as well, having to work a night patrol tomorrow and Monday so that she could be with her sister.

"Now you listen to me kid, you're going to see Mom whether you like it or not –she's your mother for crying out loud!"

Alex had never seen Jessica so livid. She had never used that tone of voice with her, or gotten angry at her really. She looked down at her feet and brushed back her brown hair.

"Okay okay, no need to arrest me okay geez," she said, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. Jessica studied her little sister with a frown and continued to cool breakfast.

"You're eighteen Alexandra, stop acting like a fifteen year old," she instructed. Alex listened to her words and began to grow annoyed at how motherly Jessica sounded. Biting her tongue to not unleash the '_You're not my mother!'_ card, she moved to the dining table and rested her chin on her hand.

They ate in silence until Jessica apologized for being so stern and Alex couldn't help but apologize as well.

"It's just that, I don't know, I feel differently towards her," she tried to explain.

Jessica nodded, "I understand that but she is your mother remember, and she loves you and I."

"Yeah I know."

Feeling like a five year old told off by her policewoman sister, Alex got ready and met her sister out in the hall ready to meet their mother over in her little small house in Queens.

Alex wished Jessica could've borrowed a police car like when she picked her up from the airport but instead they had to catch the subway, which Alex hated. She didn't catch the one in Chicago; often she would walk everywhere or drive her dad's car.

She found just how much she was starting to sound like a spoilt brat.

Alex, dressed nicely along with her sister, began the journey from the subway to their walk through Queens. When Alex had come here before for Christmas once, they had driven from the airport and straight to the little house her mother had decorated with plants and flowers.

As they walked along the streets, Alex watched as young children played basketball and neighbours chatted from behind fences.

They turned down an avenue and found themselves standing in front of a small brick house that was painted white. A pale blue fence surrounded the small garden that housed groups of flowers and different plants.

A woman in her late forties was bent over a pile of dirt, ripping weeds out of the ground and humming along to what Alex knew was ACDC.

Alex watched her mother.

She didn't notice her two daughters and continued to garden and sing lightly as she surrounded herself in her own world.

"Ahem," Jessica cleared her throat, drawing their mother's attention. She leant around and lifted up her floppy sun hat so she could see who was addressing her.

"Hey Ma," Jessica greeted, pulling her hands out of her pocket and opened the fence. Alex stood there for a moment before following her sister's actions and stepping into the small garden.

Mary Nelson stood up shakily from the ground and threw down her weed pickers. Completely ignoring Jessica, she moved forward to Alex and threw her arms around her.

Alex, surprised at her mother's actions, stood still for a second before resting into the hug and wrapping her arms around her. They stood there hugging in the garden whilst Jessica admired them both for ages until her mother finally let go of her.

"Oh look at you," she breathed, running her hand through Alex's plain light brown hair.

"Hi Mom," she smiled and crinkled her nose. Mary laughed at her daughter's movements and then turned to Jessica, although she didn't let go of Alex.

"Hello dear," she greeted and beckoned for Jess to join them. Jessica, obviously pleased with both of them, did a little dance and skipped over to them, throwing her arms around Mary and Alex and squishing them into a tight embrace.

"I'm so happy we're all together!" she bounced, "The three amigos again!"

Mary laughed at her eldest daughter, "You mean the two amigos –and their mother."

Jessica shrugged and pulled away from them.

"Well," Mary said with a bright smile, "My babies are with me in New York and I couldn't be any happier."

Throwing her arms around the two of them she led them into the house, kicking the door shut.

They spent time catching up and drinking tea and eating most of the leftover food her mother had in the fridge.

"So Al, are you excited for ESU?" her mother asked.

Alex shrugged, "I'm alright."

"I think it's good that you were able to transfer to Empire," Jessica added.

"Yeah, especially since you can finally show off those fancy science talents you hold," her mother laughed, "I always knew you would do great things."

"Hey! What about me?" Jessica demanded, although her voice faltered to reveal her horrible dramatic acting.

"Sweetheart," Mary began, "I woke up four years ago to find you standing in that garden with a suitcase declaring that you had ditched Chicago and moved here to be famous."

Alex laughed as Jess rolled her eyes, "Didn't work out very well huh?"

Mary shook her head with a smile, "It worked out just fine."

As the sun began to get orange and signalled that it was nearing darkness, Jessica stood up from the table and stretched.

"Well Ma, we'll come back next week I promise, it was lovely seeing you again but we have to go now before it gets dark," she explained.

"Yeah we have to take the subway," Alex added.

Mary twisted in her seat at the table and looked at her two daughters, "You caught the subway? You know I don't like you catching it at night, why didn't you ask? I could get Jamie across the road to drive you over the bridge."

Jessica shook her head, "It's okay mom, I'm a cop remember?"

Mary gave her a smile although it didn't reach her ears as usual and there was a distant look in her eye that Alex noticed.

"We'll be okay, don't worry," Jessica concluded.

Mary nodded; although still unsure she stood up and pulled her daughters into a tight hug.

"Take care okay, it was so good seeing you Lexie," she said and kissed Alex on the cheek.

Alex hugged her back and waited for Jessica to say her goodbyes before they both headed outside into the dusky night. They waved from the street back to Mary, who waved back worriedly.

They stuck together, looped arms and marched down the streets, all the way back to the subway. It was quiet in the underground station; the only sound Alex could hear was the oncoming train. The lights reflected off the walls, giving it a greenish blue effect, and it smelt somewhat similar to a toilet urinal. The ones at school where the boy's bathroom smelt so bad of pee you could smell it walking down the hallway to lunch.

Leaning against Jessica, Alex felt relieved.

"It was nice seeing Mom, it was like we had never argued before and everything was over and done with," she murmured to her sister.

"I'm glad you finally realised that family is important," she replied with a smile.

Alex rolled her eyes, "I always knew that."

The train pulled up to the platform and a few people got off, from what Alex could see, many people had gotten on at the subway stop before as there were business men and women standing and a few parents and children sitting.

Alex pulled her sister along as she headed into the large vessel, weaving past passengers to find a seat, although there were none available.

They stood squished together, underneath a grubby man's armpit and a tall man's shoulder.

The passing tunnels flashed by and the shaking of the tube began to increase. Alex passed it off as she looked over at Jessica, who didn't look at all phased by the unusual trembling.

The lights in the tube highlighted her cheekbones and made her hair look dimmer than its usual bright orange.

Alex couldn't help but be in awe of her mother and sister's matching looks. They both had bright orange hair and slim faces, whilst Alex inherited a slightly browner orange hair colour. All together you could tell they were family, they're personalities were too alike. Although in what Alex lacked in social skills, Jessica gained.

Her sister's fearlessness and courage inspired Alex, and day by day she found herself with the itching thought of wanting to ditch ESU and join the police department to be like her.

Suddenly, the tube came to a startling halt.

Passengers made noises of shock confusion as they were tipped forward, some falling over. The lights flickered above them as they stopped in the tunnel.

Alex looked at Jessica, frightened and looking for an answer.

But Jessica was just as clueless as Alex and everyone else aboard.

"What's going on?" someone shouted from the back.

"What's happening?" a young boy screeched at his unsure mother.

The train gave a violent jolt forward and Alex felt her hand let go of the yellow handle hanging above her, and bumped into Jessica.

"Jess," she began quickly, her voice trembling, "what's happening?"

Jess didn't answer.

Instead the tube gave another jolt forward, this time knocking over more people.

A woman began yelling at another man who had spilt his coffee on her, and a baby began screaming. Other than that it was deadly quiet. As the noises began to die down, a searing noise that sounded like a mosquito buzzing around Alex's ear swirled around the tube, enveloping it.

Then, a man screamed.

The sudden cry surprised everyone and soon others began to join in as they noticed what was happening in front of them. The tube had jolted so far forward it had stopped in front of 51st street station, which was empty.

A man began to pound on the doors, shouting for it to be opened, but it stayed closed.

Suddenly the top of the tube was ripped open. Alex, standing in shock, let out a scream that mimicked the other passengers. Huge claws seeped through the metal and dragged themselves across, creating ripped metal holes and lines.

Then the weight of whatever it was on top of the tube disappeared, along with the claws. It was eerily quiet as the passengers and Alex began to register what had just happened.

Then it returned so quickly that the people next to the window flew backwards, engulfing Alex and Jessica. It felt like a ton of bricks had shoved Alex backwards and onto the ground.

Jessica realised she was down and quickly pulled her up and held onto her, making sure she was trampled.

A giant mass of different shades of green smashed itself onto the side of the tube, making all the occupants on the right side move to the left, so that they all huddled and screamed together by the opening doors.

The figure smashed against the side of the tube once more and rocked it, shattering glass on over the ground.

Alex screamed along with others as they were attacked.

Jessica held her screams in, yet found herself squeezing her eyes shut as it repeatedly hit the tube.

Then it stopped once again. They waited for it to start again but this time the roof was ripped right open and in peered a giant green Lizard who screamed at them.

The tube went into disarray. People began to climb over each other, scrambling and trampling over one other so they could get out, but they were stuck.

Jessica pushed away from Alex who was left in shock against the side of the wall and shoved her way towards the doors.

Alex pressed herself against the wall as a middle aged woman picked up a child and ran to the back of the subway with the other people.

"Oh my god," Alex whispered, staring at the thing above them. It clawed down at screaming passengers, and flicked its long tongue into the air, tasting it.

It tasted the fear that coursed through everyone and it was _enjoying it. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Hellooooo! I do not own spider-man but here he is anyway. Enjoy!_

~Chapter Five~

"_No one will know_

_When seasons cease to change and__…_

_How far we've gone, how far we're going"_

_-The Temper Trap, Soldier On._

Jessica pushed her way to the entrance doors that wouldn't budge open. Looking around for anything, she spotted a fire extinguisher on the opposite wall, next to a shattered window. She looked up at the Lizard and took a deep breath. She ran under it, managing to rip the extinguisher off the wall as the Lizard tormented other passengers. One woman lay unmoving on the ground, and a few other men had stained red white work shirts stuck to their bodies.

"Move!" Jessica yelled to the people blocking the doors.

As they began to realise what she was about to do, the scattered as far as they could and prepared for the orange haired woman to charge.

Jessica didn't hesitate as she propelled her body forward and smashed the two small windows open.

It wasn't much, but they could pass children through the windows.

As the Lizard continued swiping at passengers, Jessica noticed that it hadn't ripped a large enough hole in the top of the tube.

So why was it limiting itself to only clawing at people?

Alex watched as her sister began to shove two young boys through the shattered windows and dropping them on the platform on the other side.

The Lizard also noticed as well. He roared a beast like sound and scratched away more metal.

The increase of pressure on the doors from the people made them suddenly open, and out poured passengers, terrified and injured.

Jessica was one of the first; pulling her badge out from underneath her black blazer she herded people off the train and yelled for them to head up the subway exit to the ground above.

Holding her badge up; she yelled, "Move quickly to the area above! GO GO GO!"

A random women bumped into Alex as she was running, which pushed her forward and pulled her out of her daze. She stumbled next to a few men and ignored the fact that a seven foot giant lizard was ripping apart the front of the train.

It wasn't until Alex and another man were trying to get off the train when something red flew past. Spiralling against the side of the wrecked train, it clung to a line of something almost invisible and knocked into the Lizard, kicking it in the face.

Alex watched, her face expressionless as people fled the subway in fear and disaster, her sister was still standing on top of a waiting chair, where she motioned for people to head up the subway stairs.

It wasn't until the man who had spilt his coffee on the woman before, who noticed her standing there and grabbed her by her cardigan sleeve, dragging her out of the ripping train. They pulled each other along with the crowd, running up the subway entrance as people around them tripped and hit their faces on the stairs.

When she was finally above ground, the night sky enveloped the city, although the buzzing city wasn't asleep. A police helicopter stood hovering above the scene with a large circular light beaming down upon the rushing people. The helicopter beat down upon them, sending Alex's hair everywhere.

Two police cars sat still as officers separated the wounded from the uninjured and shouted for them to stay calm. Alex looked back to the subway entrance only to find Jessica scrambling up the steps and towards her. She broke away from the man pulling her and ran to her sister, gripping her upper arms and dragging her away.

They all watched in disarray as the creature that attacked them in the subway crawled through the tunnel, only to be met with screams and shouts from officers, who pushed back the crowd and got into firing stance. They shot at the lizard, only for it to be momentarily distracted.

The red blur was back again, except this time, Alex could see what it was.

Spider man.

The drawing she had gazed down at on Jessica's desk, and had taken in every detail of the shaded mask. She didn't know anything about him, only what she had heard Jessica talk about. The man in the red and blue suit seemed to captivate the Lizard's attention, as it ignored the bullets being dug into its back.

Alex watched as the man in spandex taunted the giant Lizard and dodged its swipes. Instead, it crawled around its body, shooting out a substance that from where Alex was huddled, it looked like webbing.

And then Spider man began swinging away, just as the lizard broke free and scattered from sight, rushing down through the underground again.

Alex began to breathe heavily. Jessica, who was still watching the remaining people and officer's rush around each other, looked back at her little sister only to notice that she was not standing properly. Throwing her arm around her she pressed her face into her neck, holding her tightly.

"Let's get you home."

As they moved carefully through the throng of people, Alex didn't even contemplate whether the creature was still lurking in the shadows, for all she knew it had escaped back down to the subway.

Police and medic sirens sounded throughout the city.

Alex didn't know what was happening. The last thing she remembered was staring as the man in the red and blue suit tangled himself around the lizard and swung away. She couldn't even feel her feet slapping against the concrete sidewalk underneath her.

When the two of them reached the apartment, Jessica laid a wordless Alex in her room on her bed. For the first time in her life, Jessica didn't know what to say to her sister. The young girl had been living with her for only five days and never even knew that something so innocent as catching the subway home would end in disaster.

She didn't want Alex to be exposed to that. She didn't want her little sister to have her first memories of beginning her life in New York with nearly being murdered on the train whilst screams erupted from around her.

"I'm so sorry," Jessica whispered to Alex and she helped lay her down.

Alex didn't respond.

Pausing Alex's bedroom door, Jessica watched as her sister rolled over, her caramel coloured hair splashed across her blue pillow. She gave the young girl a sombre look before heading out the door, closing it softly.

Alex lay in her bed for minutes before she heard the soft click of Jessica's bedroom door. Sitting up slowly, she sat trying to go over what had happened, but found her head hurting when to tried to wrap it around the reality that the train she was on had been _attacked_. She had never experienced anything in her life that was even remotely similar as that. She'd left her father five days ago to pursue a new life with her sister and rebuild the relationship she knew she still had with her mother –and she had accomplished that.

Yet then a giant lizard came and ripped apart the subway.

Giving a light groan and rubbing her temples, Alex stood up and shuffled towards her desk. She leant over it, ignoring the pen jabbing into her stomach and opened the window. Pulling her jeans off she stepped into her blue pyjama bottoms, drawing them up to rest on her hips.

She turned back to go to bed when an idea popped into her head. Turning back to the window, she stood on her wooden chair and placed one foot on the desk, checking it for balance. She then placed her other foot on the desk and knelt down, slipping out the window as quietly as she could. The metal grate of the fire escape dug into her bare feet but she ignored it and instead began to climb. Since they were on one of the top floors she didn't have far to go and she soon found herself standing on the rooftop, overlooking the city of New York.

She felt the dirt and dust underneath her feet and padded forward until she came to a stop at the edge. She rested her hands on the ledge and leaned forward, watching as the police helicopters continued to scan the streets.

A sudden noise behind her made her jump and shift around so quickly that her neck felt like it would snap.

Her eyes scanned the empty rooftop. There was no one around except her.

Trying to calm down her heart rate, she pressed a hand above her breast and felt the steady beat.

"You should be inside Miss."

Alex screamed so loud it echoed she swore she could almost hear it over the distant helicopter and police sirens. She swivelled around and tripped, sending her back hitting against the ledge.

She began hyperventilating as she tried to take in deep breaths.

"Whoa I didn't meant to-"

The person didn't finish, instead they gripped her forearm and pulled her up, resting a gloved hand on her shoulder and bending so that they could study her face.

Alex didn't look up at the person's face; she kept her eyes closed as she tried to maintain her breathing. Once she had swallowed and fallen into a better condition, she opened her eyes and looked up at the person in front of her.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

Spider man, clad in his suit and mask peered down at her with a tilted head. She studied his masked face and noticed that where his cheek was had been cut. The fabric of the suit fell open in a small gash to reveal tan skin, which held a bright bleeding cut.

There were other scratches and marks along his body but he seemed perfectly fine.

"H-h-hi," Alex said shakily.

"Howdy there!" Spider man beamed.

Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at him in confusion, "You…you were battling that –that thing before!"

Spider man nodded, "Yeah, took off pretty quick too. What are you doing up here anyway?"

Alex pulled away from the spandex clad man and rested her hands on her hips, "I'm…I'm getting some fresh air."

They stood in silence as Alex kept her eyes planted firmly on the chest of Spider man, studying the suit.

"You saved all those people on the train," she said.

Spider man shrugged, "It's all in a day's work."

Alex shook her head, "No. No you saved all those people and my sister and me and-" Alex cut herself off and stopped talking.

"Just thank you so much," she said to him.

Spider man looked down at her and backed away. He nodded in her direction and then suddenly, he was gone.

Swinging from his web he flew through the air not caring if Alex ran towards the edge of the rooftop to get a closer look.

But he was too far gone.


	6. Chapter 6

_And hello again, I'm going on a spree just posting these. I don't own Spider-man._

~Chapter Six~

"_I learned to not eat the snow_

_My fur is hot, my tongue is cold_

_On a bed of spider web_

_I think about to change myself"_

_-Fever Ray; Keep the streets empty for me._

A month had passed since the train incident and Spider man on the rooftop. She had entered university at Empire State quickly, going to the place when she was needed for class and then staying locked in her apartment waiting for Jess.

She didn't know anyone in the class and had chosen to stick to herself for the first months so she could focus on her work and exams.

As she stepped in the university, Alex made a beeline for her first class of the day, Entomology.

She couldn't say she loved the subject, she preferred Ethnic studies as different cultures fascinated her, but she had to admit, the study of insects was very remarkable.

She spent most of her classes dissecting slugs and various other insects as her professor droned on about the relative subject and scratched the board with a piece of chalk.

Jess was working late again tonight. After the Lizard attack she had been working twice as many patrols, listening to meetings at the station. Alex realised as well that her sister was beginning to grow tired and older, often leaving the bright and bubbly personality she usually had for a different and more in authority one. She was like that before but with a joking attitude and personality that was separated from her serious one that she had when she worked.

Now she stayed up late drinking coffee and bent over her desk at the station. And when she wasn't at the station or on patrol she was doing the exact same thing at home.

Alex often thought about that night after the Lizard, when she snuck up to the rooftop and had her first encounter with the masked vigilante. Ever since then, whenever she saw him swinging around New York on the news or saw videos of him bringing criminals to justice on the internet she was left dumbfounded at how this person was actually…a person.

He seemed so; it was like he was just Spider man. Yet, everyone knew that there was actually a _person_ underneath that suit.

And that whole fact intrigued Alex to the point where she spent going over the men she had met and passed in the city since she'd been there. Trying to put together pieces which never fit so she could have an idea as to who Spider man was.

"Hey can I borrow your pen?"

Alex jumped at the voice next to her, knocking over the beaker next to her.

Before it could hit the ground and smash into a million pieces, the boy had grabbed it and swiftly placed it back next to her.

Alex stared at the person with wide eyes before giving them a smile.

"Thanks," she said, handing him her blue pen.

Alex had been taking samples from the slug she was currently dissecting and ignored everything else around her.

Looking at her lab partner, she squinted as she tried to remember where she recognized him from.

The boy raised his eyebrows and caught onto what she was thinking. Being slightly offended, he rolled his eyes.

"I live in your building, just a few doors down…I'm Peter remember."

Alex's face flushed with embarrassment and she looked down at the diced slug.

She nodded and gave an awkward smile, "Sorry, you're the one who was always picking up my keys for me."

Peter chuckled, "yep that's me."

It was silent between them before Alex finally found the courage to speak up.

"Sorry about not recognising you it's just that –to be honest I didn't even know you were in this class!"

Peter Parker looked at her with an expression that asked her if she was mentally disabled.

"What are you talking about?"

Alex regretted what she said, "Well, I don't even know anyone here and -"

"We've been sitting within a meter of each other for a month now."

"Yes but you don't understand_. I don't like people_."

Peter burst out laughing but it ended quickly as Professor Mitty sent them a glare.

"Well I guess that's a perfect reason to not know anyone in the class," Peter joked quietly.

Alex sighed, "Whatever. I just…sorry again, I haven't been focused on much for the past few weeks."

Peter nodded and looked at her, noticing how her hair was similar to her sisters yet it wasn't as orange, much browner instead.

"How's Officer Clark?" he asked polity and Alex looked at him with a weird face.

"Officer Clark?" she repeated, "You mean Jess?"

Peter nodded as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Alex raised an eyebrow and scowled, shaking her head, "My sister _Jess_, is fine thank you very much. All she does is work."

Peter leaned back as his lab partner and neighbour poured her personal business on him.

"And I don't even know what to say to her anymore because she's always preoccupied!" Alex continued and violently stabbed the remainder of the slug, making Peter raise his eyebrows and stick his lower lip out.

Alex huffed and slammed the scalpel down, drawing the attention of their Professor once again.

"Is everything okay back there Miss Clark?" Mitty asked, tilting his head down to look at her over his crescent shaped glasses.

Alex, didn't say anything, she just shook her head and looked down at her work. Sending a glare to Peter out of the corner of her eye, he chuckled at her and her whole character.

They didn't talk for the rest of the class, although Alex couldn't help peering at him every few moments, just to see what he was doing.

He continued dissecting his own slug and collecting data, writing down formulas and what not, exactly what Alex and the rest of the class were doing. When they were finally let out, Alex returned the white lab coat to the hanger at the front of the lab and cradled her bag, leaving the block.

"Hey Alex!"

Alex turned to find Peter jogging after her. She raised an eyebrow questioningly and slowed her pace, waiting for him to catch up.

"Hey again Peter," she greeted.

"Hi."

"…what do you want?"

"Oh! Nothing, just want to ask what you're doing."

Alex stopped and faced Peter. Folding her arms she stared at him with curiosity.

"What?"

Peter scratched the back of his neck and made a whistling noise, "Do you want to walk together, since we live in the same building?"

Alex paused and then nodded, "You have a strange way of asking things Peter."

Peter shrugged, "Hey at least I'm not the one who forgot that I've been living next to you and attending the same classes as you for a month now."

Alex blushed, "Sorry about that again. I already blurted to you half of my problems."

They walked from the University, sharing friendly conversation with each other until they finally reached 51st street, where their building stood against others of the same bland colour. They pushed through the entrance doors and hopped into the elevator.

As they walked down the corridor to where their doors stood, Alex contemplated inviting himself.

Deciding not to, she fuddled with the door knob and leant against the door, facing Peter.

"So, here we are," she sang.

"Yep," Peter nodded.

She looked up at him, taking in just how much she was taller than her. He stood straight, towering over her short frame.

"Well I better go inside now," she said, turning and opening the door.

"Wait," Peter began, "Since we're in the same classes and live in the same building –why don't we walk together to Empire tomorrow?"

"That would actually be really good…nice thinking Peter," Alex beamed.

Peter gave her a crooked smile, "Well you know…"

"Saves me from getting mugged by myself," she joked.

They laughed together before someone from inside Alex's apartment spoke up.

"Lexie –is that you?" Jessica called from her desk, leaning back on the swirly chair.

Alex turned back and looked around the door, "Hey Jess!" she then turned back to Peter with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry but I have to go now, thanks for walking with me Peter! I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Peter smiled back, "That's okay. Normally I just skate behind you. Walking and talking is cooler."

Alex laughed and nodded, moving inside she gave him one last smile and closed the door, leaving him outside in the hallway.

Alex breathed out and stepped into the living room. She pulled off her coat and passed Jessica, who sat still in her uniform with a coffee next to her. She was bent over a thick document with her head cradled by her hand.

Alex walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder. There once again was the sketch drawing of Spider man's face. Jessica didn't acknowledge her sister; instead she kept staring at I the picture.

"Jess, why are you paying so much attention to Spider man?" she asked quietly.

Jessica chewed her lip and gave a deep sigh. She lifted her head and looked up at Alex, revealing her tired eyes. It was painted all over her face –exhaustion. She didn't look twenty two anymore, but instead something above twenty six.

There were deep bags under her green eyes and she gave the impression that she might be sleepwalking.

She didn't seem _'all there'._

Jessica broke eye contact with her sister and moved her down to gaze back at the picture

"He's clever you know," she whispered, "After Captain Stacy died last year…after the Lizard killed him…." She began to trail off.

Alex bent down and rested on her knees next to Jess.

"We locked away Connors but then he somehow escaped. We all thought he was cured but then this Lizard thing started attacking the city again before you arrived and the whole department has increased shifts and patrols to try and find him but…no one knows where he is. Only the times where he appears, kills some civilians, destroys parts of the city and then disappears again. We have no leads. No clue as to what to….the new head of Police just won't admit it to the public."

"Spider man is the biggest hope we have at the moment," she continued, "He seems to always be there on time."

Alex didn't know what to say. She watched at her sister stare off into space and decided to leave her by herself again. Knowing she was being a horrible sister and that Jessica needed her she backed away from the room and entered her own.

"You are the worst, most selfish girl Alexandra Clark," she murmured to herself. She stayed in her room until it grew dark and she finally heard Jessica get up from her desk and begin to make dinner.

The microwave beeped angrily as Alex got up from her bed and to her door. Locking it from the inside she turned to her window and stood on the desk.

Mimicking what she did all those nights ago, for the second time, she balanced herself on her desk and crawled out the window, landing awkwardly on the fire escape. Walking gently to the top over the grated stairs she found herself standing on the rooftop.

She walked over to the edge and peered down, looking at the taxis and cars that mingled together in an effort to go home…or out, wherever really.

The city lights in the distance highlighted the sky and illuminated the moon. Balancing her bottom on the edge of the rooftop, Alex took a deep breath.

New York was insane. At eighteen, she had experienced so much in just over a month. So much more in her life than what she ever even _thought_ she would!

And now, she had gained a friend in Peter, yet she couldn't help but worry about her sister. She knew she would pull through, Jess always did. She was the strongest out of the two of them, and even though Alex had courage embedded deep within her somewhere, she found herself digging for it in hopes that she could find a way to help Jess.

"I haven't seen you in a while."

Letting out a small scream, Alex thought she would fall off the edge and plummet to her death, instead something hit the small of her back and pulled her backwards, making her land on her front on the dusty concrete rooftop.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Spider man echoed. He detached the string of web that had connected to her body and leaped forward, pulling her off the ground.

Dusting herself down Alex pushed Spider man away from her. Pointing an accusing finger in his masked face, her livid face screamed fury.

"Get off of me! You nearly killed me!" she screeched, pushing him in the chest. Spider man held up in his hands and swatted her attempts to push him again.

Alex was furious. She made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat and threw up her hands before dragging them down through her hair and over her face.

Spider man watched with a mixture of worry an amusement as the girl through a fit. Her commotion caused him to begin to chuckle, only making the pale girl even more irritated.

"Don't. Sneak. Up. On. People….especially when their sitting on the edge of a building!"

Spider man stepped back, cautious of her in case she decided to throw another punch.

Alex took a in a deep and calming breath and pressed her fingers to her temples.

"Sorry!" Spider man blurted out, "I didn't think you were gonna get scared and throw yourself off!"

"Throw myself off?" Alex repeated, offended, "Do you think I'm…what is wrong with you?!"

Spider man watched her and fumbled for words. He moved quickly to sit on the edge of the building, where Alex had been sitting previously. Crossing his legs and putting his arms behind his head and leaning back.

Alex stared with wide eyes, in complete disbelief at his body language. He would fall, she knew it. He was playing tricks with her or something.

"So," he began casually, "How's it hanging?"

"How's it…how's it hanging?" she breathed.

Spider man nodded and folded his arms, leaning back further over the edge.

"Don't," Alex warned.

"Don't what?" Spider man sniggered.

"Don't you dare," she said sternly. Spider man lifted up his arms and acted like he didn't know what she was talking about.

He leaned even further and then suddenly began slipping backwards.

"Oh no! Help me!" he squealed, flapping his arms as he tried to grab towards the edge, but he fell back, disappearing over the edge.

Alex gasped and scrambled towards the edge of the building, leaning over the edge she searched desperately for Spider Man.

"Gotcha didn't I?"

Alex swung around only to find Spider man sitting on top of the electrical box.

"You bastard," she fumed.

Spider man pressed a hand over his heart, splaying his fingers over the spandex, "Ouch."

Alex glared at him and began to storm off towards the fire escape, determined to leave the masked idiot by himself.

"Hey wait!"

For the second time, Alex felt something attaching to her back and spinning her around to face Spider man. This couldn't be happening.

She was just an eighteen year old girl, who attends university in New York. She lived with her sister and visited her mother in Queens regularly. She liked to watch cheesy soap operas with her sister and enjoyed ice cream. She was awkward and temperamental and at times very selfish. She was exceptionally smart and had been in situation where a giant green Lizard attacked the train she was riding.

Now, she was face to face with Spider man for the second time. He was annoying and a bit of a smartass and resembled a child more than a vigilante.

"You're an ass," Alex stated.

"Thanks, I try my best," Spider man countered. They stared at each other for a few moments before Alex folded her arms across her chest.

"Why are you talking to me?" she asked.

Spider man twiddled his thumbs and motioned to the city surrounding them, "Well I was swinging by, returning from dumping some junkies off at the station –as you do, and I saw ya sitting here all titanic like and decided to stop by."

"Titanic like?" She questioned.

"Yeah you know in Titanic when Rose is about to jump off the edge of the ship and-"

"I wasn't about to kill myself!" she protested.

"Well fine!" Spider man huffed, "But you know…I stopped because yeah…Titanic."

Alex shook her head in disbelief, not moving her eyes away from his masked face, "You really are human."

"Human? Nah," Spider man sniggered.

Alex didn't know what to say; instead she swung her arms at her sides and stepped back from him.

"Well Spider man, I'm fine, thanks for caring so much," she muttered.

"That's okay; it's all in the duties of your friendly neighbourhood Spider man!"

When Alex had looked back to him, Spider man was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

_And yo once more, I still don't own spider-man woo, sorry just a short chapter now. _

~Chapter Seven~

"_Did I disappoint you?_

_Or leave a bad taste in your mouth_

_You act like you never had love_

_And you want me to go without"_

_-Damian Rice, One (U2 cover)._

When Alex returned home after University she didn't expect to find Jessica crying on the kitchen floor.

Alex threw her bag down and sprinted to her sister, kneeling down and pulling her hands away from her tear stained face.

"Jess, Jessica! Jess what's wrong?" she asked. Jessica continued to cry. She slammed her hand against the wooden cupboard next to them, making Alex jump.

As she leaned in closer to her, she smelt the faint smell of alcohol. _Jessica had been drinking some of the aching away. _

Alex took in her appearance and noticed how she was still in her uniform, except it was crinkled and sweat stained.

"_Dean's dead!" _she wailed, pulling her hands away from Alex's and raising them to her face again, this time smudging mascara down her pale cheeks.

Alex scrambled to get up and headed for the TV. Grabbing the remote she flicked it onto the first channel which showed a news update with a picture of a man in his late twenties. His picture burned deep into Alex's eyes, as she recognized the man vaguely.

"_Hey Alex, how ya doin'?"_

"_I just came from school to get some coffee from here -hey this is Peter!"_

"_Oh yeah! I remember you, you live down the hall from us."_

"_Nice to see you again Officer Clark."_

"_Please Peter, call me Jessica –hey I almost forgot Al, this is my partner Dean!"_

"_Nice to meet ya Alex, Jess has told me a lot about you."_

Alex felt sick. She had met him once, her sister's partner. They had been walking out of the coffee store Peter and her were about to step into when they had come out in their uniforms with laughter etched onto their faces,

Dean had been Jessica's partner long before Alex arrived in New York and she suddenly felt the urge to vomit. Her sister had lost her first friend in the line of duty, and he wasn't going to come back. He had a wife –the anchor woman reported, and they only been married for five months.

"Oh Jess," she whispered and returned to her sister.

Jessica clung to Alex and sobbed into her shoulder.

"They killed him! He-he-he was shot in the chest and-and-and…" she cried harder.

Alex held onto Jess as she moved back so that Alex was resting her back against the fridge with Jess hugging her.

She continued to sob into her shoulder for a long time, often stopping and being silent for a few minutes before starting again.

"Come on," Alex said, "let's get you showered."

Jessica didn't protest as Alex stood up, holding onto Jess still. Alex semi carried her to the bathroom where she turned on the hot water and helped Jess out of her uniform.

She helped her naked sister into the shower where she immediately sat down on the bottom of the tiled floor. There was dried blood on Jessica's hands where she must've pressed them against Dean's chest, and she watched as they slowly rinsed off, leaving a red stain to wash down the drain.

Alex bit her lip but left her there, watching as Jessica wrapped her arms around her knees and silently cried, pressing her head against the side of the wall.

After Alex had had enough of watching her distraught sister sitting under the shower head, she helped her out and dried her off, leading her across the living and to her room, where she helped her into her pyjamas and into bed.

The sun was starting to get darker as the clock reached six pm. Alex found herself eating alone at the dinner table when a knock sounded at the door.

Getting up and opening it, Alex found an officer standing outside her door with his partner.

"Evening Miss, this is the apartment of Officer Clark?" he asked.

As Alex went to answer she saw Peter standing a little ways behind the two officers, an unreadable expression on his face.

"This is her home yes, I'm her sister," she explained. The two officers shared a look.

"Can we come in?" the other asked. Alex nodded and stepped aside, letting them inside. She looked at Peter in the hallway and didn't say anything, she just shut the door.

Returning to where the two men stood, she motioned to the table, "Please sit down."

"That's okay Miss, we actually came here to check on Jessica. She's been through a lot today," One officer said.

"We've come to take her back to the station," the other said.

Alex's eyebrows furrowed.

Sensing the confusion on her face the officer spoke up, "We've come to question her on today's events."

There was silence.

"It was Spider man."

Alex and the two officers turned to find Jessica standing in the doorway of her room. Her face was pale and her hair was wet from the shower. Glancing from her to the kitchen floor, Alex noticed the faint red mark where Jessica had rubbed Dean's blood on the ground.

"Officer Jessica -"

"We were on patrol when Officer White and I got caught up in a robbery; I already explained this to you Steven," Jessica said, her voice was eerily calm as her face grew angrier by each word.

"We know Jessica," the other officer said softly.

"I want to sleep I'm not coming with you," she murmured.

The officer nodded, "Why do you say Spider man?"

Jessica took a deep breath, "He didn't come."

Alex closed her eyes tightly and turned her head away. She itched to go and run to her sister and move her away from her two colleagues.

"Now Jessica you can't rely on some masked idiot to come and help you –what happened to Dean is…we're all grieving' Clark," The taller Officer said.

Jessica looked away, "I want you to leave now Officer Jacobs, you too Kent."

"Jessica the Captain told us-"

"Well you can tell the Captain that I'm staying here! BETTER YET YOU CAN TELL DEAN! OR HOW ABOUT THIS; GO TELL SPIDER MAN!" she screamed.

Jessica stared at them and broke down in tears, falling back against the door frame, she slid down the wood and sobbed into the wooden floor.

The three of them watched the woman before Alex quickly touched the shoulder of the closet Officer.

"I'll take care of her, she's in no state to go with you I'm sorry," Alex said. Officer Jacobs nodded and with one last look at Jessica's broken form he headed to the door with Officer Kent.

"We'll send another officer tomorrow, hopefully then we'll be able to discuss what's happened," he said, "Goodnight Miss Clark."

She nodded at them and closed the door softly before sprinting to her sister.

Jessica grabbed at Alex's shoulders and hugged her tightly. Her wails and cries echoed around the room and she felt sorry for her neighbours, who wouldn't realise what was happening in apartment 103.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hola Everyone! Here is Chapter Eight, I don't own spider-man and thank you to my two lovely reviewers you're both wonderful! And also thank you to those who followed/favourited you're all wonderful as well! Please, it makes me feel lovely when you do that, so please don't hold back on reviewing -I like to know how this is going :)_

~Chapter Eight~

"_Those who are dead_

_Are not dead_

_They're just living in my head"_

_-Coldplay, 42._

Jessica returned to the station that night, leaving Alex at home to look after the apartment. She didn't have classes today and stayed inside, watching over Jess and attempting to do her Ethnic Studies homework.

She had woken up this morning next to Jessica, who she had dragged to bed after the incident with Officer Kent and Jacobs. They had fallen asleep wrapped up together, not either of them wanting to let go.

As Alex sat in the living room with a cup of tea, her mind began to drift to Peter. His face last night had stirred something within Alex that she couldn't describe. Maybe it was the look of concern or just something that he knew that made her think.

Standing up from the couch she picked up her cardigan and wrapped it around herself, feeling slightly cold in the empty room. She picked up her keys and put them in her pocket and then she exited the apartment.

She closed the door and took a couple of steps before reaching Peter's door, where she stared up at the little golden numbers _105_. She hesitated before lifting up her hand and tapping on the doors a few times.

When Peter didn't pull the door open she knocked harder.

Waiting for a few minutes so pressed her ear to the door to see if she could hear anything and unexpectedly heard voices.

A woman's voice.

It sounded like they were in some heated discussion and she could make out the frustration in Peter's voice.

Becoming the curious and rude and also selfish girl she knew she was she knocked loudly. The voices stopped talking and Alex heard footsteps pad over to the door, where it flung open.

Alex was taken aback.

Peter stood there, fuming at her with a large bruise painted on his cheek. It was red and angry and looked a few days old but it still had the tender and sore vibe to it.

"Peter?" she said.

"Alex this is a really bad time," Peter said quickly.

Alex looked to Peter and then over his shoulder where she saw a beautiful blonde girl standing with her arms crossed behind him.

Alex's face dropped.

"Sorry I didn't realise you had company," Alex lied. She knew he did, she didn't care if he did. She just wanted to talk to him. And she knew it was wrong. But she had to talk to someone.

That's when another person entered her head.

Leaving Peter with no explanation she left him standing in the doorway, ignoring his calls. She fled back to her apartment and ran to her room, desperately climbing over her desk and through the window. She then climbed to the top of the rooftop where she sat on the ledge, watching the orange sun reflect brightly onto the buildings of New York.

It was beautiful and Alex closed her eyes, breathing in. she wanted to scream and jump off, only wishing she wouldn't hit the bottom.

She missed her father and she hadn't spoken to her mother in days let alone visited her. She didn't want to go back to Chicago; she wanted her sister and her parents.

She wanted friends that she could talk to and have fun with.

Peter was no fun and he wasn't talking to her.

So she came up to the roof because there was one person left who would.

"Spider man will come," she assured herself, "he always does."

She waited for minutes, which then turned into hours. The sky grew dark until the moon shone brightly in the sky along with the many stars. She watched as Jessica's cop car pulled up to the building and she climbed out, giving an emotionless wave to Officer Jacobs.

Jessica would assume that Alex had left the building and gone somewhere. Alex often told her not to worry. There were two sets of keys and they both had them. Alex was fine and Jessica knew that. But Jessica wasn't fine and Alex and Jessica herself both knew that.

As the nightlife of New York bustled Alex began to cry.

All the bottled up emotion that she had somehow managed to suppress rose within her, starting from her toes and coming out of her mouth. She quickly ripped off her cardigan, feeling the cold night air bite at her exposed face but she ignored it and pressed the fabric to her mouth, where she tried to block out the sound of traffic and New York all together.

Spider man wasn't coming. she couldn't rely on him to come, he was a guy who literally swung around the city in tights.

She sniffed and sobbed an ugly sob.

"_Dad_," she breathed, "_what do I do?_"

She wiped at her eyes but moans continued to roll out of her mouth.

"He's not coming. He. Is. Not. Coming," she repeated to herself.

"Who's not coming?"

She should've known better. He always did this. He always spoke out from behind her, startling her to no end.

Alex spun around, her hair messy and shirt wet from crying so much. She sniffled and coughed a little, trying to clear the built up mucus in the back of her throat.

"y-y-you?" she said, hugging herself.

"Who me?" Spider man said, gesturing to himself, "Where you waiting for me?"

Alex shook her head, lying with all her heart, "No…I wasn't waiting for you..."

Spider man cocked his head to the side and walked closer to Alex so that they stood a meter apart.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

Alex didn't answer she just continued to look at him.

"You know something occurred to me as I was swinging by and saw you…I never got your name," he said.

Alex bit her lip, "I'm Alex."

"Hi Alex, I'm your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man."

"I know that," she said through clenched teeth.

Spider man scratched his chest and looked around the rooftop, "So…want to tell me why you were crying so much?"

"How long have you been watching me," she asked, ignoring his question.

"I think you should go back inside, your sister needs you," he said, changing the subject.

"No answer my—wait, how do you know about my sister?" Alex asked.

"You told me about her remember? After I saved you and you thanked me and what not," he said, trying to jog her memory.

Alex's mouth made a large 'O' shape as she remembered her thanking him and mentioning her sister.

"Yeah well…thanks again for that," she said.

"Any time!" Spider man said and moved forward to sit on the ledge. He patted the space next to him and motioned for her to sit down.

Alex hesitated before cautiously wandering over to sit next to him, eyeing Spider man to see if he would throw her over the edge.

"So are you going to tell me?"

Alex took a deep breath, "I hate you."

Spider man turned to her and stared at her, "What?"

Alex's face turned hard and she felt herself gain some of Jessica's courage, "I hate you," she said again.

"Why?" Spider man asked.

Alex looked at him, feeling tears prick at her eyes, "Why weren't you there for my sister?"

Spider man leaned forward so that Alex could stare deeply into the reflective black eyes of his mask.

"Why weren't you there to stop my sister's partner from getting _murdered_?" she spat, "Why didn't you stop the person that killed him? That's what you do right? You stop bad people? Well, don't you?!"

Spider man didn't say anything and Alex began to feel bad. She didn't regret what she said but then realisation dawned upon her again that he was somewhat human underneath the suit. Whether he had special super abilities he was still somewhat normal.

"I'm sorry-"

"No don't be."

She closed her mouth.

"You're right. It's okay you can hate me. I saw that officer go down," he said, "I didn't stop them you're right…I tried to stop the robbery but you're sister and her partner had already arrived on the scene and began trying to stop what was happening. What they didn't realise is that there was another guy. I didn't even realise until the officer was on the ground."

"But don't you have special powers? From all the times you hit me with that web stuff –why couldn't you see him?!" she cried.

"I was trying to stop you're sister from getting killed!" he yelled at her.

Alex gasped and stopped crying, startled at his outburst.

Spider man leaned dangerously close to her and she believed he was going to push her off.

"Push me," she said, "I know you're going to…do it already."

Spider man paused and drew away from her, "You're crazy."

"So I've been told numerous times."

"Look I'm sorry, there was another guy and he went to shoot at your sister but I stopped him and before I could even turn the cop with on the ground and your sister was calling for backup, I had to get out of there. She didn't see me."

"My sister isn't a bad person," Alex said.

"I know that, and I can see how much you care for her."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"I was watching you through your window," he said.

Alex looked at him in shock and flushed bright red, scared if he had been swinging back at other times and seen other things.

She didn't have anything to say.

"Alex? Lexie are you up here?"

Alex turned as she heard her sister's calls from the fire escape. She turned back to Spider man only to see him stand up on the ledge and prepare to jump off. She looked back to see Jessica standing wide eyed behind them, frightened to death at what she saw.

"WAIT!" she shouted and grabbing his knee.

"Hey get off-!" Spider man stumbled at the sudden pressure and let out a yell, losing balance he tumbled forward off the edge.

Bringing Alex with him.

Alex screamed as she felt the air leave her lungs. She felt the wind rush up around her and she cried out and screamed, clawing at the open sky as if she was trying to grab the building or her sister.

"ALEXANDRA!" she heard Jessica scream, it echoed down to her.

And then she was suddenly flying.

Alex looked around her and saw Spider man clutching her to his red and blue suit. He had caught her.

He had caught her.

They were swinging from the sides of buildings, flying through the air. She was in awe as Spider man swung around in a circle, moving back towards Alex's rooftop. Her hair flapped around her face, and the sight of her being so high off the ground made her dizzy.

Landing back on the roof, Spider man didn't let go of Alex. Instead he held her at arm's length as Alex puffed and tried to catch her breath.

"Get off my sister."

They both turned to find Jessica standing there, holding her gun with a menacing face.

"Jess NO!" Alex said desperately and moved forward. Jessica pushed Alex behind her and held her gun up higher.

Spider man backed away and suddenly, Jessica fired.

Alex screamed as Spider man dodged the shoots up until Jess ran out of bullets.

Flinging his arm out, a shot of silver web flew out of his wrist and tangled around Jess's empty gun. He pulled his arm back and gripped the gun in his hand. Tossing it to the ground, he stepped forward.

Alex moved around Jess and towards Spider man. Staring at him with too many emotions to begin with she pulled him into a hug.

Spider man didn't hug her back, he didn't know what to do, so he waited for her to pull away but when she didn't he gave in and hugged her as well, awkwardly patting her back.

"Alex, get back here now," Jessica said, her voice strong and hard.

Alex pulled away from Spider man and turned to face her sister.

"Spider man," she said, "tell her she's…"

Alex who was about to burst with the information she knew turned back and looked at Jessica with a desperate expression.

"I'm not sticking up for here when I say this Jess but, he's not the fault why Dean is dead. He was trying to help just as much as you were, he was trying to help you so you wouldn't die," she tried to explain.

Spider man stayed silent.

Jess found it hard to believe what her sister was saying, "What? Do not play tricks with me Alexandra! This isn't the time!"

"I'm not playing around!" she yelled.

Jess looked at her with enraged eyes.

Spider man began to back away.

"It's not his fault," Alex said. Jessica began to cry, "Jessica, it's not your fault or his that Dean is dead. It's not anyone's except the scum that did it."

Jess began to sob.

Alex moved forward and pulled her sister into a tight hug. Jessica cried into her shoulder and looked up, meeting Spider man's eyes.

"Sorry," she mouthed, "thank you."

That was all Spider man needed to here, with that he was gone.

Jess pulled away from Alex and began speaking.

"I thought you were dead when you fell!" she exclaimed, "I thought that was it! I didn't expect to come up and find you and him! And then it happened and and and-"

"It's okay!" Alex said, wiping her eyes, "I'm okay!"

Jessica covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, "That's all I need to hear."

She pulled Alex into a tighter hug, relishing the feeling of having her little sister alive, and the knowledge of Dean's death.

She still blamed Spider man, but for a different reason. _Why did he pick her when he could've picked to save Dean? _


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi! Here is the ninth instalment of The Pioneers! I would like to say thank you to SpideyFan2099: Thank you very much! There's something so great about going into your emails and seeing that notification, I don't know why it's just so nice! Thank you! Anyway, enjoy please everyone!_

~Chapter Nine~

"_Treading the ground_

_I once used to know, people are strangers_

_Same as before"_

_-The Temper Trap, Trembling Hands._

Officer Dean White's funeral was one Alex knew she would remember forever, even if she didn't want to.

The feeling of Jessica holding her hand before it started made her heart churn. It wasn't until she could see her standing with her fellow Officers in full uniform that made her cry.

Watching Jessica silently cry with her eyes closed and throat moving to show how much she was swallowing out of nervousness and sadness, inflicted pain upon Alex. She loved her sister to death and beyond and felt useless when trying to comfort her. All she could do was hold her.

She felt even more selfish when she fell off the roof with Spider man. What would've happened if he hadn't caught her? Jessica would've rotted away in the darkness of her apartment.

They're mother had come to visit yesterday and they had finally managed to explain and talk about everything that had happened ever since the Lizard attack, except the two sisters left out the meeting and near death experience the night before that involved the masked man of New York.

Mary had hugged her two daughters and not let go. Sinking to the kitchen floor they hugged each other as if their lives depended on it and in some weird way –it kind of did.

They had been driven home after the funeral by Officer Jacobs, who was really quite lovely to Jessica and Alex.

And Alex saw the way Jess and him looked at each other, especially when they thought she wasn't looking.

Alex felt herself increasing with happiness. All she had to do was face Peter now.

With her exams finished she finally had the breathtaking chance to relax on her break from University. Jess and her planned to visit their Mother as much as they could and go out for dinners and to the movies and spend as much time together as possible and just act like real sisters did.

As December rolled around and winter came upon them, they even planned to have their father come and spend Christmas with them.

Currently with Jessica completing the end of her patrols and work so that she could have time off, Alex sat outside a small café near their apartment.

"Hey!"

Alex looked up to find Peter sitting himself down on the table she was sipping her coffee at.

"Peter?" she asked, "hi."

Peter smiled and it seemed like Alex never rudely barged in on Peter's argument with that blonde girl.

Alex recognized that girl. She was in her Ethnic Studies class and she normally paid attention to herself and sat to the front of the lectures.

She just couldn't remember her name.

"Hey do you want to come over for lunch?" Peter asked suddenly.

"What? You're inviting me to your apartment for lunch? I live like next door Pete," she said.

Peter shook his head, "No no no, I mean do you want to come over to my Aunts…in Queens."

Alex's eyebrows shot up, "Really? In Queens? At your Aunts? Gee Peter I don't even know you're last name!"

"You don't know my last name?!" he laughed.

Alex nodded and began laughing harder.

"It's Parker!"

"Really? Well Peter Parker let's go!"

Alex had never felt so strangely optimistic before and she couldn't help but feel honoured that Peter had asked her to come to his _aunt's home _for_ lunch. _

"So what were you doing down here?" Alex asked as they headed towards the subway entrance.

"I was just passing by and saw you and since I have nothing else to do I thought '_Hey! Why not ask Alex to come and have lunch with me and my aunt!_'"

"You're very kind Peter Parker," Alex smiled. As they were about to make their way down to the subway, Alex paused.

Remembering that horrific night on the train made her hesitate.

"Hey are you okay?"

Alex nodded although she was uncertain with herself, "Um…yeah it's just that I was there on the subway the night the Lizard attacked it, seems that I still haven't gotten over it," she laughed at herself.

"Oh sorry, I never knew that," Peter said, "Do you want catch a bus or-"

Alex held up her hand to make him stop.

"Honestly Peter its fine, let's get the sub before we have to wait for another."

They made their way to the subway and waited for a train before settling themselves near the front by themselves.

"So," Alex began, "Where do your parents live?"

Peter paused and looked at her awkwardly, "Um…my parents actually died when I was younger. I lived with my Aunt and Uncle but he was killed last year and I moved out to the our building a month before you came actually."

Alex felt rude for being so ignorant, "Oh Pete, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," he said and gave her a reassuring smile.

"What about you? How come you live with your sister?" he asked cautiously, in case she shared the story as him.

"Well I'm from Chicago and my parents divorced when I was thirteen," she said, "I came to live my sister because I earned a scholarship to ESU and my father decided that it would be good for me to live here."

Peter nodded.

"Funny enough my mother actually lives in Queens!" she beamed.

"Really? How funny would it be if they lived next door to each other?"

As they walked to Peter's aunt's house, well Peter skated next to Alex but slowly so she didn't have to run just to talk to him. They shared jokes and asked what each other's favourite colours were and then moved onto the subject that made them both excitably happy. Science.

As they neared a road that looked too familiar to Alex, they finally stopped at a set of houses.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alex said in disbelief as she took in the garden next to Peter's aunt's house.

"What?" he asked.

"That's my mother's house."

"No way! Mary is your mother?! That's crazy!" he laughed and began walking up the stairs.

"Wait you know her? Hang on; I'll be back okay I'm just going to pop in!"

"I've known her since I was thirteen when she moved in! Okay just knock when you come back!"

Alex ran to the house next door and rung the bell, waiting for her mother to answer. Mary was ecstatic to see her daughter and nearly fell over laughing when Alex explained that her friend lived next door.

Even funnier was that Mary was a good friend of Aunt May and often visited Peter, Ben and May. She had watched Peter grow up from a thirteen year old to the sensible yet awkward and smart boy he was now at eighteen.

Mary and Alex walked over to Peter's where she met the lovely Aunt May and sat for a lovely lunch prepared in such short time.

Alex had to admit that Aunt May's sandwiches were pretty fantastic.

As they left the two older women downstairs chatting, Peter brought Alex up to his room.

"Who would've thought that the woman who has been living next door to me would have a daughter I ended up living next to as well?" he said as he plopped down on his old bed.

"It was fate," Alex joked and admired his Einstein poster, "You really are a nerd Peter Parker."

Peter laughed as he watched her take in his room, "Hey you're taking the same classes as me, who else in their right mind would enjoy Entomology?"

"Us," she said.

Peter smiled, "So…how's Jess?"

Alex was amazed at what he was going to lead up on with the simple question.

"I was there when those officers came to your apartment," he said quickly, "I could hear her as well…I also watched the news, was it someone she knew?"

Alex grew sombre, "Yeah…it was her partner."

"Oh, geez, she must've been pretty distraught," he said.

"Yeah she was."

"Um…can I ask why you were banging on my door the other day?"

Alex looked at him and moved to sit on his desk chair, "Ah I was, I wanted to talk to you at the time but It's okay it was nothing important, you seemed busy as well so I just left."

"Oh yeah sorry, that was just Gwen…she's a…friend."

The air in the room suddenly became tense and Alex shifted, pulling her top down at the back so it stopped slipping down her chest.

"Peter can I ask you something?" she said suddenly, making Peter look up.

"Yeah anything, go ahead," he replied.

"Are we friends?"

Peter laughed, "What type of question is that? Of course we're friends!"

Alex felt relieved, "then can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," he said, still laughing.

"I think…I think I might have a friend in Spider man."

Peter paused and raised his eyebrows, "what?"

Alex sighed, "Sorry I sound like an idiot!"

Peter shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing, "No keep going, just –explain to me what you mean."

Alex bit her lip. "I've met him a couple of times –he's pretty cool…" she trailed, "Is it weird I consider him one of my _many_ friends?" she added sarcastically.

Peter stared at her, "You met Spider man?! That's so cool!"

"Ugh! Peter!" she groaned, "You're supposed to be giving me advice not acting like a teenage boy!"

"But I am a teenage boy!" he protested.

Alex laughed, "No you're a young man as I am a young lady."

Peter shook with laughter, "Anyway, so you consider a guy swinging from buildings in spandex one of your friends?"

"Well, he's saved my life twice now, once on the subway with those other people and I kind of pushed him off my roof the other week and-"

"You pushed Spider man off the roof?!" Peter exclaimed.

"Yes and I kind of fell with him and-"

"Wait _you_ fell off too?!"

Alex nodded.

"So that's the screaming I heard, I just thought it was police sirens."

As Alex continued to open up with Peter and they talked it was finally time for them to both take their leave.

Telling aunt May how fantastic and lovely she was and kissing her mother goodbye, Peter did the same and together they headed back through Queens, back onto the subway, through the streets and to the apartment.

"Hey maybe you can take me to meet your new best friend one night," Peter suggested as they made their way down the hallway to their apartments.

"He's not my new best friend and okay maybe one night but I'm sure he'll like talking to you after all you are a bit lame."

"Hey! I take some serious offense to that!" Peter defended, but she saw the tiny crooked smile at the corner of his lips.

_His lips_, Alex thought as she looked at the pink part of his face.

Alex had never really thought about how good looking Peter was until now, sure she had thought about him sometimes but at the moment as she faced him she took in just how…great he was.

He was smart and was an intern photographer for the Daily Bugle to Alex's astonishment. She had never suspected that the person getting all those amazing shots of Spider man was Peter. And even through his geeky awkwardness he was outgoing and funny. And he was handsome, actually –he was _very_ handsome.

"Hey are you okay? You're dozing off," Peter said as he waved a hand in front of her face.

Alex blinked and swatted his hand away, moving to her door, "I'll see you Peter."

"Alright Lexie –can I call you that?" he asked.

Alex flushed crimson and hid her face from him, "Of course you can Parker."

"Good, hey wait one second I'll be back okay just wait one moment!" Peter said hurriedly and ducked into his apartment.

Alex waited with curiosity and when he finally returned with a bright and odd smile on his face she wondered what he was up to.

"Smile!"

A bright flash took Alex off guard as she was photographed. The flash made her eyes grow wide and she probably looked like a stunned fish in the picture.

"What the hell Peter?!" she exclaimed and made a move to grab the camera. Peter laughed and held the camera up so it was out of her reach.

"I think you look good!" he laughed again and she knew it was a lie.

"Delete it Parker!" she demanded and threw her arm up so she could try and grab it. Alex jumped for the camera, standing on her tip toes and shoving her chest against his so that he knocked back against the wall.

Alex's face was so close to Peter's that she could feel him breathing on her.

She gazed at him through her green eyes and wondered what would happen if he kissed her. But she knew that wouldn't happen. After all they were friends. Great friends.

But peter didn't push her away like she expected. Instead he lowered the camera and held it up to her face.

"Smile," he instructed softly.

Alex was at a loss and drew back, giving the camera a gentle smile. It flashed and Peter didn't lower it.

"Smile again," he said.

Alex smiled again, this time tilting her face to the right. The camera flashed once again.

"Now smile with your teeth," he breathed.

Alex took a deep breath, "Peter what are you-"

"Please, smile for me."

Alex complied with his wishes and smiled brightly, although it was crooked and her left eye creased more than the other.

Peter stared at her and licked his lips.

"You should smile with your teeth more often," he offered.

"Okay," Alex whispered.

Peter nodded and then without any hesitation, he leaned forward and kissed her.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hello! Chapter Ten is here, wow! Thank you for all the lovely reviews; goosehopper, Cheerio82897 and xxLiveLoveReadxx, you're all very lovely! I have to agree with you xxLiveLoveReadxx, I never really liked Gwen and Peter, I've always been a fan of MJ and Peter, but Gwen still is fantastic.  
_

_Anyway, Enjoy! _

~Chapter ten~

"_See the arrow that they shot, trying to tear us apart_

_Took the fire from my belly _

_And the beat from my heart_

_Still I won't let go, still I won't let go"_

_-Coldplay, Hurts like Heaven._

"Dad!"

Alex had propelled herself so hard onto her father, that when she collided in a hug with him and wrapped her legs around his waist that he stumbled backwards through the open door and into the hallway.

All the while you could hear Jessica and Mary laughing manically from the doorway.

It was Christmas day and Alex had woken to the best present she had ever received. Her father had walked through the door whilst she had been eating breakfast. Their mother had stayed the night before; sleeping with Alex in her bed and Aunt May was coming over for Christmas Dinner with them.

Along with May was Peter.

Ever since the week before in the hallway, Peter and her had remained distant but he was still the polite boy as always, whenever they crossed paths he smiled at her or said hello.

"I'm so happy to see you!" she cried and kissed her father's cheek, hugging him tightly.

"Well I got a call from Santa last night and-"

"Dad!" she whined, "I'm not five!"

Charlie's eyes softened as he gazed down at his daughter, "You'll always be my little girl."

He laughed when Alex finished the sentence with him, rolling her eyes as she did.

"Come on inside, look at what we've done with the place!"

Snow was beginning to fall outside and they had all dressed warmly due to the cold coming inside as well. Unfortunately Jessica didn't have a fireplace so they stuck with the heater/air conditioner that hung on the top of the wall.

Jessica and Alex had spent the days prior to Christmas in decorating the apartment with every single Christmas item they could get their hands on. They had put tinsel up and other Christmas items and set up the dining table with two other chairs and had put up the tree with their mother last night. The cheap plastic tree from Kmart didn't look cheap any more as it was strung with tinsel and ornaments, making it look gorgeous from where it sat near the back window. Every counter and anything that could be taped with tinsel was and the whole place looked exactly like how her dad's home did during Christmas back in Chicago.

Charlie was impressed and very proud.

Mary and Jessica began to cook for the night as Alex continued to wrap presents in the other room with her father, talking as they did.

The sudden burst of Dead or Alive '_You spin me right round like a record'_ made Alex double over with laughter. As she regained herself she jumped up and began dancing, making her father laugh. She danced her way out of her room and caught Jessica's attention. Setting down the butter brush that she painted over the chicken, Jessica began to dance her way over to Alex, meeting her halfway in the centre of the room.

Pulling out the camera Charlie began to film the two girls, "This is so going up for her 21st," he murmured to Mary who laughed in reply and agreed.

They continued to dance until the song finished playing on Jessica's speakers and then put up a joking fight when they realised their father was filming them.

"Turn it off!" Alex demanded but she couldn't stop laughing as Jessica threatened him with a raw chicken leg.

"I'm a cop remember!" she reminded him playfully and he finished recording them.

"Okay, okay I give up!" he said.

They all returned to working and throughout the day often indulged themselves in eating lunch and doing work for their Christmas dinner that would be occurring in a few hours.

As the day went on and it continued to snow Alex had never seen her family so happy. She appreciated it more now and she was able to appreciate it properly now that she was older.

Her father and her placed the presents under the tree and he drifted over to answer the door when it rung.

"Hello?" he said, not knowing who the woman was.

"May!" Alex exclaimed and passed her father, hugging the woman tightly.

"Hello Dear, Merry Christmas," she laughed.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she smiled, "Oh you didn't have to bring anything May," she said as she took in the large and delicious looking cake that May held in her hands.

"It's okay dear I wanted to bake one," she said and Alex gestured for her to come inside.

"Merry Christmas May!" Jessica chorused from the kitchen, lifting a the knife in her right hand and waving enthusiastically at her.

"Where's Peter?" Mary asked after she had kissed and greeted the woman, taking the cake from her hands and thanking her.

"He's in the apartment, he'll be out in a second, said he was fixing his camera," she explained with a warm smile. They then began chatting and Jessica and Mary introduced May to Charlie who was very interested to see who this May woman was.

Alex was silent and she quietly ducked out of the room, heading to hers so she could head up to the rooftop.

Alex sat on top of the roof, freezing as New York covered itself in a sheet of white.

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!"

Spider man appeared out of nowhere and sat next to her, singing a horrible rendition of Jingle Bells.

Alex laughed, "Merry Christmas to you too."

"And a happy new year!" he finished loudly, gesturing to the city dramatically, making Alex smile.

"Hey what are you doing out here anyway? Don't you have a family or something?" Alex asked.

"Well I could ask you the same thing," he countered.

Alex nodded, "Well don't you have a wife or kid or...?"

"How old do you think I am? Honestly," he breathed.

Alex giggled, "Sorry -I just assumed."

"Well you assumed wrong lady!" he responded with cheek.

Alex chuckled at him and wrapped her jumper around her tighter, the beanie and scarf she had pulled on kept her face warm but her arms were freezing.

"So, how's it hanging?" he asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one who asks that? Since that you're the one that actually does go hanging from buildings and swings from them as well."

Spider man shrugged, "I guess so but oh well. _How's it going?"_

"It's going well Spider man," she assured.

"Really that's good."

"What about you?" she asked.

"Oh you know, stopped a few drug dealers here and there, saved a kid from a fire the other day –the usual stuff," he said casually.

Alex shook her head and smiled, looking out at the city. Families were going for their last late play in the snow before the sky grew dark and parents watched them with bright smiles from afar.

"Spider man…how good are you with advice?" Alex asked, surprising herself at what she was about to say.

Spider man turned to her.

"Advice? I guess I'm pretty good, it's not like teenage girl stuff is it?" he said, implying something.

Alex's eyebrows raised and she shook her head from side to side, "No way man! I learnt about that kind of stuff a _long_ time ago."

"Okay good, wow I thought I was going to have to jump off the ledge for a second!" he said playfully.

"Well, actually it's about a boy."

"Okay see ya!" Spider man said and went to jump off but Alex pulled him back.

"Wait a second you idiot!" she said, giving him a dirty look, "It's about my friend. He kissed me the other day and well I don't know what to think."

"And after all this time I thought you were in love with me," Spider man said.

Alex rolled her eyes but blushed and continued, "It's my friend. I never really thought about him that way before but recently and before he kissed me I started thinking about him differently and well…it's weird because I think he has this friend called Gwen and I can be really rude sometimes but Peter is so lovely and handsome and kind and polite and-"

"Peter huh? Lucky guy!"

"So what do you have to say?" Alex asked pleadingly.

Spider man paused and was silent for a few minutes, "Go and tell him how you feel. It's the best thing to do and you never know maybe he feels the same way."

Alex beamed, "Thanks man," she punched his shoulder lightly.

"Hey careful there or I might fall off again," he chuckled.

"You've done so much for me, thank you Spider man," she acknowledged genuinely.

"Hey, it's all a part of the job!" he said and they stood up. The sky was fading into twilight and she was going to return downstairs and attack Peter.

"By the way nice sweater," Spider man said, pointing at the embarrassing sweater that her mother had forced her in. she looked down and took in the traditional Christmas sweater with a deer on the front and red and green patterns colouring the wool.

"Thanks, Merry Christmas!" she wished and stood back so he could swing away.

"Merry Christmas to you too kid!" he wished back and then took off towards the end of the building, jumping off the edge and disappearing.

Alex returned through her window with the largest smile on her face as she heard laughter and cheesy Christmas music playing.

As she entered into the living room she saw May and Mary talking whilst Jessica laid the food out on the table with Charlie.

"Sorry it's not much but it'll have to do," Jessica apologised as Charlie brought over two over chairs to fit in May and Peter.

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it, it's probably Peter," Jessica said and Alex braced herself.

Jessica pulled open the door to display a smiling Peter. He was dressed casually but nicely as he always was. His camera was hanging from around his neck and he held flowers in his right hand.

"Merry Christmas!" he beamed.

Alex pulled her hair out from its bun and removed her beanie, smoothing her hair down so it rested on her sweater covered breasts.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Peter Parker!" Jessica sang and invited her inside.

Peter met Alex's eyes but didn't smile. As he greeted everyone, Alex moved forward and introduced him to her father.

"Peter this is my dad, Charlie. Dad this is Peter," Alex introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you finally Mr Parker, I've heard a lot about you," he said, shaking his hand.

"Thank you sir, I've heard a lot about you too," he replied, sending Alex a smile.

As the adults began to talk again, Jessica declared that dinner was finally ready and that they should sit down and eat before it got cold and she would have to throw it out the window.

Sitting down at the table they all thanked Jessica and Mary for preparing the delicious looking meal before digging in. Alex sat across from Peter and accidently kicked his foot with hers. Peter looked up at her and smirked, kicking her foot back.

Feeling like a five year old she kicked him back once more and sneakily stuck her tongue out at him.

Only Jessica noticed.

As she watched the two of them with a small smile, she continued to eat her chicken and vegetables. When dinner was finished and Jessica was cleaning up with May and Mary, Alex began to help but was stopped.

"Go talk to him," she instructed, "I'll take care of this now go."

Jessica picked the dirty from Alex's hands and pushed her in Peter's direction, where he was admiring the picture wall.

"Hey Peter," she said as she came up beside him.

"Hey," he murmured back, "That's a really nice picture." He pointed to the picture of Jessica's seventeenth birthday where Alex had picked up her piece of cake and smudged it in her face. Her father had managed to capture the shot perfectly as they leaned away from each other, covered in white frosting.

Alex laughed, "Yeah that was one interesting birthday."

They moved away from the photo wall although Peter's eyes lingered on the many photographs. They moved to her room where Charlie almost looked like he would follow as well but was stopped by Jessica.

"So, welcome to my room!" Alex said with enthusiasm.

Peter laughed, "It's great."

"No need to lie to me," Alex said and plopped herself down on her bed.

Peter eyed the window and how it was still slightly opened but only a little.

"So…how are you?" Alex asked.

Peter didn't answer instead he held up his camera.

"Smile."

Alex quickly held up her hand and covered her face, "Not again Peter!"

"Come on just smile!"

"No you did this last time!"

"Fine," Peter said, giving in and taking the camera off from around his neck. He placed it on her desk and sat in her chair, mimicking how they sat the other day in Peter's room.

"Peter about the other day I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Peter asked.

"Well I don't know actually. I like you Pete but you know…"

"We're such good friends?" he said and Alex nodded.

"Who's Gwen?" she asked suddenly, "She was the blonde girl in your apartment wasn't she?"

Peter was silent, "She's a good…friend of mine, well she used to be. Not any more really. I haven't talked to her in a long time, she just came over to discuss some…stuff and yeah. Look Lexie, I like you I genuinely do, as a friend and…more."

Alex nodded.

"I like you too Peter," she smiled.

Peter smiled back and Alex moved leaned forward.

Taking a large step away from 'friends,' Alex kissed Peter firmly on his cheek before drifting to his mouth. He kissed her back and held a hand up to cradle the back of her neck.

He stood up, pulling her up with him and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. He could feel her chest pressed firmly against hers and he pulled her closer.

Feeling guilty for not giving Alex the full story behind Gwen and frightened as to what would be in store for Alex in the future he pushed it behind him for the moment. He sighed against Alex's mouth and she smiled, playing with his brown hair.

"This is a big leap from discussing the functions of slugs," she murmured, eyes closed and mouth pressed firmly to his.

Peter made a noise of agreement and continued kissing her, losing himself. That night they kissed whenever no one was looking and they spent most of their time eating the cake May had made and joking with Jessica.

Alex couldn't be more freaked when Peter sneakily kissed her behind her father's back whilst Charlie drank a beer and chatted to Jessica, who glared at them playfully.

As the night trailed on and May and Peter began to pack up their things, Peter quickly ran back to her.

Holding up the camera, he quickly kissed her and photographed it, running back to the door where he smiled and waved to the family before closing it.

Leaving Alex with a lot of explaining to do.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hola everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, it's exam time at the moment. I managed to get this chapter in but I'm sorry to say you might have to wait a couple of days until the other but I promise updates will come quicker! Thank you for all the lovely reviews, you're all very kind. _

_WinterRain36: Yes I really do think Peter should be careful, he's a bit of an idiot when it comes to hiding his secret actually if I was Peter Parker I would have been busted already. Alex is incredibly smart and since most of her world revolves around her sister and Peter and university there shall be a lot of explaining to do on Peter's behalf. _

_l 3 Spidey: Oh woah! I hope you're knee gets better! Thank you very much, get better soon!_

_Scarecrowlovinggirll98: Haha, I'm glad you liked it, yeah Peter's a bit of a loser so you know, he tries. _

_Goosehopper: I'm very happy you like it bud!_

_Anyway, I am eastbound and down good buddy._

~Chapter Eleven~

"_Do you think I'm special?_

_Do you think I'm nice?_

_Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?"_

_-One Republic, All the right moves._

The day Alex properly met Gwen Stacy was that would stay in her head for a long time. She had been walking through the hallway to her Ethnic studies class when she was pushed accidently by a large, sandy coloured haired boy into Gwen, who fell and scattered her books everywhere.

The boy who had knocked them was a little hesitant before he quickly helped up Alex and then bolted, leaving the two girls to awkwardly pick up their belongings.

"Sorry about that," Alex apologized, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Gwen shrugged, "It's not your fault, Flash is very…rough."

Alex picked up her last book and stood up straight, looking directly at Gwen. She was very pretty and couldn't help but wander back to the day where she had seen her standing in Peter's apartment, angry and red faced.

Gwen seemed to be thinking about that day too because her face scrunched up as she studied Alex, obviously trying to remember where she had seen her. Of course they were in the same class but they had never associated with one another yet alone sent a look in the other's direction.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

"We're in ethnic studies together," Alex said.

Gwen nodded and gave her an apologetic look, "Oh yeah sorry, but…you're Peter's neighbour aren't you?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah I am. I'm Alex Clark."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Gwen Stacy. Wait, Clark? Do you know Jessica?"

"Yeah she's my sister!" Alex replied.

Gwen nodded, "That makes sense, you look like her. I've only met her a couple of times."

"Who hasn't?" Alex laughed.

They stood in silence before Gwen smiled politely and motioned down the hall, "Do you want to go to class together?"

Alex smiled, "Yeah, that'd be…cool."

So together they walked to ethnic studies and during that they sat together and then after that they walked outside together, where Peter met up with Alex and to his surprise, Gwen.

He had been stiff around her and Alex noticed Gwen's discomfort as well.

Alexandra remembered the past they shared that Peter had explained, vaguely leaving out many details much to Alex's ignorance. They had been friends but Alex could see that the way they conducted themselves around each other that they had to be involved somehow in the past but it didn't seem to faze her, sure she was confused as to why Peter just didn't openly say '_Yeah Gwen and I used to date and now we don't talk anymore yay!'_

It all seemed really strange to Alex.

They talked for a few moments before Gwen departed from them, walking away in the opposite direction. Christmas was over and done, as was new Years. University had resumed and Alex had fallen back into the routine that she had developed as soon as she came to New York –although her ignoring of others faltered and she had made new friends.

She spent most of her time at her mother's or May's with Peter, or even just talking to her dad on the phone. Jessica was busy with new patrols and meetings that discussed different statistics on how to deal with working around Spider man and the threat of the Lizard, which hadn't been sighted since the subway incident.

"Are we still on for tonight?" Peter asked, tearing Alex away from her thoughts.

"Yeah of course," she smiled.

"I'll meet you at the movies, I have to do some things before hand; is that okay?" he asked.

Alex laughed, "I'm a big girl Peter I can protect myself."

Peter nodded and gave her a small smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

When Alex finally returned home after stopping by the café and paying her barista acquaintance MJ, who seemed to know Peter very well as well, making Alex roll her eyes at how popular he seemed to be lately.

She ate an early dinner and showered, getting ready for the movies. Peter and her had been out a few times, mainly for walks around central park and to the movies and around the city. As Alex was pulling on her shoes near the couch, Jessica walked in through the door.

She sighed and pulled off her cap, letting her hair out.

"Hey kiddo," she greeted, reaching over and kissing Alex hello.

"Hey Jess, how was work?" she asked.

Jessica groaned and bent down to retrieve some yogurt from the fridge. "We had another meeting today about the potential threat of anti-spider man protesters."

"Protesters?" Alex said.

"Yep, some of them have been rallying up posters and chants down in the city. It's okay it's only a small group and we've arrested half of them already for drug possession."

Alex nodded, "Wow. Anyway, I'm going out with Peter tonight to the movies."

"Ooooh!" Jessica sang, "Are you? How sweet well, you know, don't do anything you'd regret at the back of the movie theatre."

"No way!" Alex joked, sticking her tongue out in fake disgust, "That's too far!"

Jessica laughed, her mouth full of berry yogurt, "Enjoy yourself kid, be careful when you're coming home, call me if you need me."

Alex grabbed her shoulder bag and promised she would, kissing Jess goodbye she headed out the door and out the building.

It wasn't dark but the sun was starting to set as Alex made her way to the movies. Peter had told her to wait inside for her and that'd he'd be there soon. As she walked she kept her hands stuffed in pockets, gripping the small mobile phone that was kept there.

Sitting down on one of the red chairs inside of the theatre lobby, she studied the posters and artwork that hung around the brightly lit room. The smell of popcorn made her stomach wish for some but she held still as she waited for Peter –then she would buy as much candy as she could carry.

She checked her watch as the sun began to get darker and she bounced her leg impatiently. Couples and families were filing in and out of cinema doors, chatting loudly and laughing about the movie that had just seen. Alex watched as a young boy bounced up in down in front of his father, asking to be picked up before screeching happily as his father complied to his demands.

'_Where are you?'_ She texted to him. Peter didn't reply, angering Alex.

She began to worry, wondering if he had walked into some thugs that often littered the streets at night. She stared at the entrance doors, waiting for him to walk through.

An hour passed and anyone walking past could find Alex sitting cross legged on a plush red chair with her hands covering her face.

To anyone it could've looked like she was crying but instead she was seeing if falling asleep might hurry him up.

Lifting her head up, she looked at the dark street outside and sighed.

"You've been stood up," she said to herself, "Well this is quite embarrassing….and upsetting," she added quietly.

She bit her lip and dragged her fingers through her hair. Giving up, she stalked outside. Moving quickly to avoid any interaction with a few of her University friends she saw walk out of cinema 3, she hurriedly pushed around the corner, not realising where she was going.

She knocked hardly into someone, tumbling over as they held their ground. Landing face first on the concrete side walk made Alex's nose take the impact and as she groaned and lifted herself onto all fours she noticed a drop of red splash onto the dirty path.

She lifted her index finger to her nose and felt liquid; pulling away she discovered blood on her fingers.

Alex closed her eyes and sighed, beginning to lift her body up.

"I'm so sorry," the male said huskily and grabbed Alex's hand, pulling her up harshly. She stumbled before regaining her composure.

Her vision was a little foggy but she managed to pick up her shoulder bag before anyone else could and held it tightly.

"You alright there?"

Alex looked up to find a tall, curly haired brunette boy, who was dressed quite lavishly, standing in front of her.

"Huh?" she grunted and licked her lips, tasting a glob of blood. She spat out and stumbled backwards, but before she could fall the man had grabbed her wrist and stood her straight.

"Sorry," she managed to choke out.

"Here," the guy said, pulling out a tissue and handing it to her. She took it gratefully and pressed it to her nose, hating how it quickly absorbed the blood, leaving no white part of the tissue left.

"Are you okay now?" the man said and she nodded, not making eye contact.

"Sorry for bumping into you, I was in a hurry," she lied.

The man raised an eyebrow and shrugged, shoving his hands in his designer coat. It was cold tonight, and Alex wished she had brought another jumper.

"Uh…you got some," The guy motioned to the side of his face. Alex's looked at him confusedly before realising that she had smeared blood there.

"Sorry again," she apologized and backed away, ready to cry herself home.

"Uh wait, are you sure you're okay?" he said and Alex nodded.

"Wait!" he called for her again making Alex turn around.

"I'm Harry by the way. Harry Osborn and you're Alexandra Clark," Harry said.

"How do you know who I am?" she asked coldly, eyeing him carefully.

"I go to ESU as well, I've seen you with Parker around campus," he explained.

"Oh well in that case, yeah hi Harry," she said.

Harry smirked, "Well, do you want a ride home? I don't know if I could let you walk home alone with a bleeding nose."

His tone of voice made Alex quiver, he sounded sarcastic almost and his eyes brightened.

"No it's okay, I can call someone," she said.

"Please, let me give you a ride. It's the least I can do," he pleaded. He then stepped closer to her and pointed behind her. Alex turned around and saw a sleek black limousine parked on the sidewalk. A driver stood leaning against it, watching Harry whilst smoking.

"That's your car?"

"Do you like it?" he grinned.

Alex felt slightly more relaxed yet didn't ignore the feeling in her stomach that was telling her to bolt out of the place.

Harry had already placed his hand in the small of her back, leading her to the expensive car. Opening the door for her as the driver took his place inside the driver's seat, she sat inside cautiously.

Harry sat on the other side next to her, giving her a smile. Alex returned it reluctantly.

"Wait, you said your name was Harry Osborn? Osborn as in Oscorp?" Alex asked, the fact dawning on her as they passed the large and tall building.

"You're correct," he answered, "Where do you live?"

"51st," she replied, "You're Norman Osborn's son?"

Harry repeated what she had said to the driver and then turned back to her, "Sure am. So how come you're always hanging out with Parker? I never see you with anyone else."

The sentence made Alex raise an eyebrow. _Did he watch me often? _She wondered.

"I'm sort of his girlfriend…I think."

Harry's face loosened and he raised his eyebrows as he took in the new information, "Really? That was a quick move on from Gwen." He turned his face to look out the window so she wouldn't see the large smirk that graced his features.

Alex was silent.

"So why were you running around the corner of the movies so fast?" he asked, turning back to her.

"Well," she began coldly, "I was actually waiting for _my boyfriend_ to come but he never did."

It must've been 10 o'clock now and the car should've stopped. Her apartment was only a few streets away, really only five minutes by car.

Looking out the window she noticed that they were nowhere near her house but instead further into the city.

"What a shame," Harry murmured. He signalled to the driver to turn around and head back when Alex's head was turned.

"Yeah…a shame." She muttered.

She felt relieved when the limo pulled up outside the apartment. Clutching the damp and bloody tissue to her nose still, she got out of the car before Harry or the driver could open the door for her.

She faced the building and started to walk in but a voice behind stopped her.

"Oh Alex," Harry called and she looked at his smirking face.

"Watch where you're walking next time," he said and winked. He sat back and the window rolled up, blocking her from seeing his face again.

She watched in absolute disbelief as the limo pulled away from the curb and drove away, leaving her standing like an idiot with a red stained tissue hanging out of her nose.

Shaking her head she made her way inside, stomping to the elevator with absolute fury.

Unless he had a good excuse, Peter Parker was going to get his ass kicked.

She scoffed and let out an ugly noise that sounded like she was throwing up. The metal taste in her mouth wouldn't go away and she was still confused with the whole situation she had just witnessed with one of the city's most influential members.

Coming to the conclusion that Harry Osborn was a bit of a dick as was Peter at the moment, she marched to the end of the corridor where Peter's apartment stood.

As she neared the door she heard voiced behind it. Pressing her ear to the wood she listened carefully as two voices argued, recognizing Peter's and…Gwen's husky voice. They were arguing, and they kept throwing comments back at one another.

She couldn't make out what they were talking so heatedly about but she made out the words 'stop' and 'bad' and various other ones.

Knocking on the door furiously she waited for it to open.

They stopped arguing and the door swung open.

Peter Parker's face dropped as he took in Alex. They studied each other, Peter noticing the dried blood on Alex's nose and chin and the dripping tissue she had shoved in the left nostril. Alex saw the red bruise and gash on the side of Peter's cheek.

"You son of a bitch," she breathed, looking at him and then over to Gwen.

Peter opened his mouth to answer but Alex already pushed past him and stepped into his apartment. She had been in her many times before but somehow it looked different. There were papers sprawled over Peter's kitchen counter and Alex caught Gwen's eye.

They looked at each other with hard eyes before Alex turned to Peter.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

"What happened to your face?" he asked, moving to touch her chin but she slapped his hands away.

"Answer me."

Pete hesitated and looked to Gwen, who kept her eyes on Alex.

"I was sick," he said quietly.

"Sick?" Alex repeated venomously, "You were sick? Then explain why you have a fresh cut and bruise on your face?"

"Well I was skating and -"

"You were skating? I thought you were sick!"

"I was- am sick! I was skating to meet you and I ran into a wall!" he exclaimed.

"So what –you decided to go home and leave me at the movies, by myself! And then what, did you called Gwen to come play nurse with you?!"

"Did you get mugged?" Peter asked her.

"NO!"

"Did you get mugged?" he repeated sternly, leaning towards her.

"I swear to god Peter Parker if you don't tell me what's going on I'll-"

"You'll what?" Peter challenged.

Alex was breathing heavily as she fought the urge to give him another bruise. She didn't answer him instead she began to walk to the door. Pausing with her fingers wrapped around the handle, she looked back to her two friends.

"You left me for more than two hours by myself! I got knocked over by freaking Harry Osborn and-"

Peter's face darkened. "Harry Osborn?" he seethed.

"Yes Harry Osborn!" Alex yelled, "Who cares!"

Peter marched over to her and grabbed her by the wrist. Alex cried out as he pulled her around and pushed her onto the couch.

Gwen stormed to Peter and angrily hit his shoulder, "Peter what are you doing?!"

Alex stared in shock, her mouth open like a fish and her make up smudged. She must've looked a sight, with dark eyes and dried blood and salty water staining her face.

"Harry Osborn?" Peter repeated, "What did he do?"

"I ran into him and I fell over –that's why I'm bleeding!"

"What did he say to you?" Peter demanded.

"Peter you need to calm down," Gwen said.

"What did he say to you?!" Peter roared, ignoring Gwen. A tense silence hung in the air as Gwen and Alex watched Peter, who breathed heavily and seethed rage.

"He drove me home."

Peter sat down on the couch next to her and Alex looked frightened at Gwen.

"That's it? He drove you home? What did he say?"

"Why do you want to know so much?" Alex whispered.

"Alex just tell him," Gwen said suddenly.

"He offered me a ride and kind of didn't wait for me to respond so I got in the car and he knew my who I was and then I realised he was Norman Osborn's kid and then he asked me about you and-"

"What did you tell him about me?" Peter asked darkly.

"I said we were involved….or at least that's what I _assumed_ we were," she replied rudely.

They were all silent.

"What's going on?" Alex asked pleadingly, "Someone just tell me. Peter, just tell me if you want to be with Gwen, just tell me please and save me from making any more of a fool of myself okay."

She stood up from the couch and prayed with each step that he would stop her.

But he never did.

Taking a deep breath, Alex pushed the door open and slammed it shut.

"_It's better that she doesn't be around me."_

"_That's what you said to me remember?"_

Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker comforted each other that night whilst Jessica held a sobbing Alex in her bed.

Spider man watched from outside her window as she cried against her sister, falling asleep soon after. The past month that Peter and Alex had begun their weird relationship and Alex couldn't help but fall for him as the days went on. His kindness and how smart he was. How incredibly dumb he could be sometimes and how he would bring her over to his Aunt May's house just so she could see her. She was a teenager after all with little experience in anything really, and crying seemed to make her feel better.

Meanwhile on the other side of the city, Harry Osborn watched his father carry on in a deranged manner, screaming and shattering objects within his sight. Harry watched helplessly from the top of the staircase as Norman Osborn lost himself in his own anger, _his own self_.

There was nothing he could do now.


	12. Chapter 12

_Hiya everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but it's the holidays now and I can finally dedicate all of it towards this story. Anyway, it's about to get intense soon, thank you to all of the lovely reviews, you're all so very wonderful._

_Please, Enjoy!_

_It's about to get very intense over the next few chapters, with Alex I geninely try to depict how selfish she can be, how selfish a normal human being can be when it comes to specific things in life._

_Anyway, onward to the story._

~Chapter Twelve~

"_Be my friend_

_Hold me, wrap me up, unfold me_

_I am small and needy"_

_-Sia, Breathe Me._

There was a different air to New York as Alex wondered from the corner store back to the apartment. The wind was cold so she wore layers to make sure she wouldn't freeze to death and made sure to bring a beanie just in case.

She had fought with Jessica that morning over getting out of the house and quite frankly, Alex's face was still slightly red from embarrassment.

"_You need to stop moping around Alexandra, you're acting like a baby," Jessica had thrown at her as she picked up Alex's pillow and brought it down upon her head._

"_Go away!"_

"_Honestly, stop crying, he's just a boy and crying does nothing."_

"_Look at my face, its tear-free!"_

"_That's not what all these tissues say."_

Tonight, unknown to Alex and the people of New York, was the first of many to come attacks started by the Green Goblin.

In the distance, as Alex and the city carried on through their evening activities, an explosion was heard.

The force of the explosion startled Alex and due to the attack not being far where she walking, the noise of shattering glass echoed from the street over. Alex watched as people from the 24 hour pharmacy down the road and restaurants ran outside, curious to what had caused something so loud and ferocious.

She stared in confusion as people began running down the street yelling anything they could think of. Many people began to pass her and run around the corner of the street and disappear. Alex, worried and questioning, ran around the corner to join the crowd of night goers in confusion to what was happening.

"What happened?" Alex shouted over the noise of confused bystanders.

"The apartment over on 53rd blew up!" a young man shouted back to her.

Growing stupidly curious to get an explanation, Alex pushed through the gathering people and ran to the attacked street. Her converse clad feet slapped against the sidewalk as she urged for her body to run faster. She felt ridiculous as her sister's determined drive pumped through her.

As she rounded the corner of 53rd street, Alex stopped in shock. Individuals of the public were screaming and pointing at the burning building. Black smoke hung thick in the air and puffed into the sky staining it grey. Sirens went off in the distance, growing louder as the fire brigade drew closer.

She had to press her jacket sleeve to the lower half of her face to stop the smoke from entering her lungs. She didn't know what to do. She contemplated running back home but then that would be even worse, she couldn't go home now, and there was a burning building with people inside it.

Alex staggered back and contemplated running home. She leant against the side of a building and watched as chaos erupted around the street.

"Where are you," Alex said, looking up at the tall buildings, "Come on where are you."

As if on cue, the familiar red and blue masked figure swung through the streets, landing next to the panicking fire fighters. Alex ran across the street to join the mass of people crowded below the building.

Spider man argued with the fire fighter before leaving him with a smart comment and bolted into the building.

Alex stared with wide eyes as he disappeared. People around her began calling his name and others who must've still been in the building. Then, a burst of fire blew out the fifth floor's windows, sending glittering shards of glass to rain down onto the sidewalk. The crowd screamed as a woman clutched her baby to her chest and ran from the inside of the building and into the arms of a fireman, who cradled her and carried her towards the truck.

Another siren sounded from the end of the street and Alex turned to see an ambulance racing towards them.

Just as then Spider-man came tumbling from the window on the fifth floor, Alex felt herself cringe as she imagine glass ripping into his flesh.

Then, as if it was like polluted water seeping into a sparkling river, a chilling and deep voice rumbled from above. Laughter boomed above them and the crowd tumbled backwards as they realised what was happening. A man in green –a green man, figure, whatever it was hung above in the air, floating on a circular device and cackled. Its beady and frightening masked face grinned evilly at Alex and the public, gazing at each individual expression.

_There was something wrong with New York_, Alex thought, _there was something definitely wrong._

Alex was pushed back as the sudden scramble for shelter erupted amongst the crowd and people began to disperse.

"HA HA HA!" the green man cackled, his armoured fists curling at his sides. Alex moved to the side and dodged past an elderly man who picked up a little girl. Running to the other side of the street she took sprinted into a small boutique.

Others had gathered inside and employees were pressed against the glass windows watching the fire brigade and police push people in the direction to safety, all whilst Spider man disappeared in and out of the building, carrying a person each time.

Alex pushed herself against the wall of the boutique as the Greek owner of the store looked at her with wide eyes.

Another explosion went off causing the glass the shake.

Then silence.

A rolling sound that echoed on the wooden floor caused Alex and the owner to stare at each other before their eyes slowly drifted down towards the ground where a small green ball had rolled from outside to the middle of the store.

A beeping noise started and gradually began to quicken.

Alex paused and stared before stepping forward, only to be pulled back by a young woman next to her.

"_Bomb!"_

It was a millisecond before the force of the tiny ball exploding sent Alex right back into the wall of the store. The blast shocking her and the others as they were all pushed back and thrown around the place, some closer to the blast than others with Alex being one of them.

The store was dark except for the light of the fire across the street illuminating the ashen room. Clothes that hung on racks on the right side of the store were burnt and some were lightly catching fire, the glass that sparkled at the front window of the store was completely gone, lying shattered on the side walk.

The front desk had been pushed back and stood at an odd diagonal angle. Burnt blotches splattered the walls and the lights were completely blown out.

There was a buzzing sound in Alex's ear that grew louder and louder. A horrible high pitched noise signalled that she was alive, or just having a very horrible and deafening dream.

Everything was spinning inside her dark head, her eyes were closed and all she saw was black but there was this tingling sensation in her feet and there was a light feeling in the back of her neck.

As her ears began to adjust but her body remained still, a sudden noise flooded in through her right ear. It was the outside, the firemen and the crowd, all still making noise and running around.

A groan came from her left and a deeper one a couple of meters away from her.

It was a matter of whether Alex's brain was working, yes it was, but she couldn't move her limbs and there was this pressure on her head, almost as if she knew she was conscious but she wasn't sure if she was.

It was peculiar and frightening as her mind screamed at her to move. Her breathing stayed the same; everything stayed the same except for her conscious.

A twitch of the finger.

Increased breathing.

Slight movement of foot.

She still couldn't open her eyes.

More noise began to flood into her ears as the sounds of outside increased through her head and created a physically sickening feeling with in, almost causing her body to shut down from the overwhelming situation.

Her body was being dragged.

She couldn't feel it through her legs on the ground but she could feel on the outer sides of her thighs being lightly trailed against wood.

Everything was black and everything was cold.

Minutes passed as Alex lay on a stretcher in on the side of the street with the dead boutique owner next to her and a few other people who had been in the store as well.

A paramedic hovered over and the woman next to her that had identified the bomb just before it had exploded.

Alex's hand began to move, which the paramedic took into notice and moved back to her.

Then her eyes opened.

She didn't know where she was and for a moment believed she had fallen asleep on the couch back at the apartment and Jessica was hovering over her, telling her to wake up and go down the street and get milk.

A gurgling noise sounded at the back of her throat as she desperately gulped for air, spitting out blood. Her face tingled as the ash and cuts bled.

"_Can you hear me_?" the paramedic demanded, his face leaning into hers, "_squeeze my hand if you can hear me."_

Alex saw his mouth move but no words came to her ears. She didn't squeeze his hand.

The paramedic went into action, leaving the other victims for the firemen and other paramedic's to tend to. He worked efficiently with Alex, tightening her to the stretcher and getting a fireman to help lift her into the back of an ambulance.

When Alex was released from the hospital a week and a half later with minor bruising to her cheeks and shoulders and cuts all over her body, she had never seen Jessica so furious.

"You always get into trouble!" she fumed, "Always! First with the subway and now with this! Do you need a rape whistle or maybe even a leash?"

Alex ignored her; she ignored her all the way back to the apartment as well. Her hearing had come back a few days ago and the tissue was sensitive. She had suffered with ruptured ear drums and still had a long way to go with healing but she could hear the small things people would say.

Normally Jessica would just whisper to her and the current angered whispering Jessica was mouthing to her now made her want to laugh.

The constant bickering Jessica had thrown at her displayed the concern her older sister held for her, which was smothering.

"You're _always_ in trouble. Always."

The journey home was silent and the evening that followed with dinner was silent. Her relationship with everyone around her was becoming strained.

Jessica was caring for her like an elderly woman in a retirement home and Peter….where was Peter?

Alex hadn't spoken to him since he ditched her three weeks ago. They had awkwardly bumped into each other in the hallway and Alex did everything to avoid him and Gwen at school, even though she was in both their classes it was as if only Alex existed in those classes, as selfish as she was.

A knock at the door broke Alex's stare from the Tv and Jessica left her side to go answer it.

"Oh, hello Peter…"

Alex couldn't hear Jessica; it wasn't until a figure moved in front of her that she nearly had a heart attack.

With a hand pressed firmly to her heart, "Peter?"

Her voice was thick and chunky and sounded like her tongue was swollen.

Peter's face was swollen around the eyes as if he had recovered from a beating a few days ago.

Alex turned around to Jessica, searching for help but Jessica gave her a shake of the head and pointed at the boy standing in front of them and disappeared into her room, leaving the door slightly ajar so she could eavesdrop.

Alex slowly turned back to Peter and looked up at him from her spot on the couch.

Peter squinted at her due to his puffy eyes and sat down next to her with some difficulty. His knees were rigid and he slowly eased himself down with a few groans.

"Hi," he wheezed.

"Hi."

There was a pause.

Peter gently touched Alex's hand which rested next to him and traced her knuckles.

"I missed you," he said, "I heard about…what happened, you were in the hospital?"

Alex nodded, "You should've visited."

"I did."

Alex turned to Peter and leaned in, trying to hear him better.

"I came after the few days you had been in there, except you were still asleep. Jessica told me about you…when she came home…."

"That's nice," Alex replied.

Peter suddenly kissed her lips.

"Don't be mad," he warned and Alex bit her lip.

"I _am_ mad," she said.

"Please don't be okay."

Alex ignored him, "Why are you hurt?"

"I-I-I got into a fight whilst you were hurt, I was mugged whilst walking back from campus."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "You're always hurt."

"You're always hurt," Peter gave her a small smile.

Alex groaned, "So everyone keeps telling me."

Peter leant forward and rested his head against her forehead.

His nose brushed hers as he took a deep breath.

"I promise to take you to the movies or to dinner, I promise to make it up to you Alexandra Clark," he said.

"I hope you mean that or I'll get Jessica to arrest you."

Peter grinned and kissed her longingly. His fingertips brushed the side of her face and trailed down her neck, lightly over her shoulders before resting there.

Alex pushed him away with a hurt expression, "My shoulders are bruised!"

Peter's eyes widened," Sorry! I didn't mean to-I didn't even realise and I'm so-"

Alex cut him off with a kiss before quickly pulling away.

"I'm okay."


	13. Chapter 13

_Hola everyone! So sorry I haven't updated in forever, I've been really busy but I got some lovely reviews that reminded me that I did have some lovely people waiting on this story...and I had basically forgotten that I was in fact writing something on this website because yeah it had just completely escaped my mind, I'm so terribly sorry! Okay well, if you get like five emails with like five new chapters out in a couple of minutes then it's me freaking out and uploading like every single chapter. _

_Enjoy, the next few chapters are mainly fillers, so sorry but some stuff is going to come up and get serious._

Chapter Thirteen

"_And I don't wanna see what I've seen,_

_To undo what has been done._

_Turn off all the lights,_

_Let the morning come"_

_-Florence + the Machine, Over the love._

"Where have you been Peter Parker?"

The chatter around them grew dull as Peter focused his eyes on the brunette sitting in front of him. Her words were annoyed, but the smile on her lips indicated her playfulness.

Peter smiled at Alex and bent down, kissing her before taking a seat in front of her. The café they sat in was a small one and there were many eager business men chatting away with briefcases next to them.

"Sorry I'm late, I uh, I was cleaning my apartment," Peter explained, picking up the menu and studying it carefully.

Alex's hearing had largely restored and she was now able to go out in public without all the noises giving her a headache and numerous ear infections due to the sensitive tissue. Jessica's role as the over protective mother had dwindled especially since their _actual_ mother had come from Queens to take care of Alex. She felt like she was five again and had broken her arm by jumping off the back of the couch declaring she could fly.

Alex looked at Peter with a small grin. Her face was brighter and her eyes didn't have large bags underneath them.

The Green Goblin, as the masked man that flew around on the circular device, the one who had set the building on fire the other week and exploded the boutique, causing Alex's ear damage and the owner of the store to die –The "Green Goblin" had been named.

New York had a villain.

The Lizard had disappeared and everyone was convinced that he had died or just moved on.

But the Green Goblin, no one had seen or heard from him ever since the attack on 53rd and the police had completely ruled Spider man out of their sights and focused on the new masked man.

Jessica's shifts had increased with many police officers being assigned regular patrols through the city, trying to uncover links between the goblin and other known offenders.

"How are you feeling?" Peter asked.

Alex's eyes snapped away from the window and gazed at Peter.

"Good, I can actually hear everything now without having to press my ear to anyone's mouth," she laughed.

Peter smiled and passed the menu to the waitress, who had appeared at their table's side with a perky grin.

"How long has the University given you off?"

Alex shrugged, "Another week, they want me to take my time healing but I'm fine now, my back is still a bit sore but other than that I'm completely fine. I'll be back next week, I miss Entomology too much."

They continued to chat and Alex slipped her hand into Peter's, being the lovesick girl she knew she was. Thursday dragged on with the afternoon lapsing into evening.

"So is this our… you know, proper first date?" Alex asked as they walked hand in hand through the streets back to the apartment, although they both weren't in a real hurry.

Peter chuckled, "Well there was that time when I invited you back to my house and then that time when I spent Christmas at yours."

_And that time when you ditched me at the movies_, Alex remembered with a grimace.

She regained herself and leaned into Peter, kissing just under his chin. They had grown more physical as the apartment confined Alex was healing. The reconciliation between the two had reopened feelings within both of them and after all they were still teenagers in their first year of University.

The end of March was approaching and life continued to drag out for Alex. She hadn't been up to the roof in weeks and hadn't seen Spider man other than on the news and support posters around the city.

It was boring really, she had been doing nothing except watching television, eating, sleeping, seeing Peter, kissing Peter, having Jessica walk in on the two of them and shouting at her mother to talk louder because Alex couldn't hear or understand a word anyone was saying.

It was aggravating and hard.

Mary was happy for her daughter and Peter and repeatedly told her that the times she would come and visit. Alex knew how happy their mother was now that he could finally rest knowing her daughter could finally hear and do as she pleased but there was a nagging noise in the back of her head that made her want to wrap Alex in bubble wrap and keep her locked in solitary confinement.

"What do you want for your birthday?"

Peter bit his lip and shrugged.

"Nothing," he replied.

Alex smirked, "That's a lie –what do you want?"

Nineteen he would be on the twenty-seventh of March. Alex's birthday followed behind closely on the eleventh of April.

They still had a week until Peter's birthday and a week would be spent running around trying to find her boyfriend a present.

An idea clicked in Alex's head.

"I'll get you camera stuff!" she beamed, "You know you should really catch up on the times and get the latest model Peter, instead of rolling around with that junk," she joked.

"Hey!" Peter began defensively, "I love that camera."

"I know you do," she pressed another kiss to his cheek.

They strolled back to the apartment and found themselves longing in Peter's with the window open and the microwave on, heating up left over spaghetti Peter had taken from his aunt's fridge.

Alex admired the photo Peter had printed of Spider man that had been published in the Daily Bugle.

"I don't understand how you get these photos of Spider man," she breathed, picking up one of the prints.

Peter turned around from the microwave, "He's a cool guy. You should know, you're best friends with him."

Alex scowled, "I am not, I haven't spoken to him weeks. He was just the masked vigilant that happened to appear on the roof whenever I was up there."

"So that's where your secret meetings are held!"

"Shut up Parker."

"Make me Clark."

Alex did exactly that and the once boiling spaghetti was forgotten as Alex enclosed her mouth around Peters and brought him next to her on the couch.

"Happy Birthday!"

_Click!_

"This is why you're the photographer in this relationship, the picture is all blurry!"

The camera was pushed out of Alex's hands as a disgruntled and very asleep Peter waltzed into the campus.

Alex had been waiting for him to wake up since noon, their classes didn't start until two o'clock and she had been sitting in the quad, casually chatting with Gwen.

Alex brushed her hands over her ripped jeans and sent a smile to Gwen, whose eyes crinkled at the corners as she sent one back.

Gwen hugged Peter and kissed his cheek and then stood back, turning her head to the side as Alex shoved Peter's shoulder playfully and pulled him in for a kiss.

It was slightly awkward as Gwen stood off to the side, before rolling her eyes and walking through the entrance building and to classes.

Alex pulled away from Peter with a large smile on her face.

"Happy birthday!" she beamed again and passed the camera to Peter. He took it gratefully and admired his stolen camera.

"Taking my things –nice one," he joked.

Alex shrugged, "You were sleeping like you were dead and someone left their apartment open so I thought 'Hey, why not instead of waking Peter, the sleeping angel and take his belongings.' I think I did quite well."

Peter shook his head as he listened to his girlfriend ramble.

"Gwen you and I are going for dinner tonight," Alex informed as they began to walk hand in hand to Entomology.

Peter stared at her.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Nothing…um, that'll be great," he replied reluctantly.

Alex smiled and nodded.

"Have you handed in your paper?" Peter asked.

"Yeah I handed it in yesterday, thought Professor Mitty was going to eat me."

Peter laughed and shifted his bag higher up his shoulder.

"My dad called last night, he's still not very keen about you Peter Parker," Alex said.

"Keen on me?" Peter laughed, "I'm fantastic! How can you not like me?"

Alex rolled her eyes, "I don't know Pete, and you're a bit of a loser sometimes."

"I take a lot of offensive to that, I am heartbroken."

It was about six o'clock when Peter finally managed to bring himself down to the lobby of the apartment and join Alex. Gwen and Alex together were fine, but when Peter wasn't with them.

Alex was incredibly happy when he actually showed up, sporting jeans and a random shirt. His hair was combed and Peter looked fit to get into a nice restaurant without being judged by everyone in the room.

It was unfortunate that he had made an effort when they were just going down to the diner down the street.

"Hi ya Parker," Alex greeted and kissed her boyfriend on the lips. She was dressed in jeans and a nice top with her hair down and her face painted.

Gwen met up with them dressed in a lovely dress and blazer, her blonde hair curled.

"Hey Gwen!" Alex welcomed as she pulled the smart girl into a hug.

Gwen smiled and hugged her back before wishing Peter a Happy Birthday and handing him a gift.

"Thanks Gwen," he said and bent down to awkwardly place a kiss on her cheek.

"So, the diner?" Alex said and gestured down the street.

"Sure!" Peter smiled and began to walk although stopped when Gwen spoke up.

"I thought we were going to go to…you know, a restaurant or something?"

Peter and Alex looked at each other before looking back to Gwen.

Alex shook her head slightly, "No we're going to the diner down the street, the one with the Mexican theme every Tuesday?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow and looked at Peter who shrugged.

The blonde sighed and tagged along with Alex and Peter, walking in the middle of the couple. Once they had reached the loud and vibrant diner, a small smile spread across Gwen's mouth as the sound of guitars and maracas echoed through her ears.

They seated themselves at a booth in the back and began talking right away, watching as the entertainment –a boy named Marcus that went to ESU with the trio –juggled and played with the band.

"What are you going to order?" Alex shouted over the music to Gwen.

"What did you say?!" Gwen yelled back, leaning forward.

"I said; '_what are you going to order-!'_"

"Parker! Stacy!"

Three heads turned to find Harry Osborn standing in front of their table with his arms wide open and large grin smeared across his face.

Behind him was a gorgeous red head that Alex recognised from the café she usually went to.

Mary Jane watched with an annoyed expression as her boyfriend greeted Peter and Gwen loudly.

Peter immediately stood up, as did Gwen as she grabbed Peter's arm and held it gently.

Alex watched the two and lifted herself up a bit higher but not standing. She was in an awkward raised position with her bottom just a few centimetres off the chair as she leant over the table in a pose that probably resembled someone going to the toilet.

Harry grinned at her and she sat down roughly, staring at Gwen and Peter.

"MJ, we thought it was just you coming," Gwen said, eyeing Harry.

Harry clapped his hands together as MJ went to open her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the wealthy teen.

"Happy Birthday Parker!" Harry said and grabbed Peter's hand in a rough handshake. Peter just looked at him.

Harry chewed happily on his gum and turned around, taking a chair from the table next to them and pulling it up to their booth.

He sat down and picked up a menu before turning back to MJ, "Are you going to sit down?"

MJ sighed and sat down next to Peter, giving him a small smile.

"Hi everyone," MJ greeted.

"Hi Mary Jane," Gwen said and leaned over the table to hug the red head.

Harry continued to grin.

"Oh MJ this is Alex," Gwen said and Alex smiled at MJ, holding her hand out to shake hers.

"Hi Alex, I'm Mary Jane but you can call me MJ," MJ said.

"Hi, nice to meet you finally, I normally come to the café you work at," Alex said.

"Yeah I see you all the time."

Silence.

"So, how is the birthday boy?!" Harry demanded, looking at everyone.

"Great Harry," Peter said.

"That's fantastic!" Harry replied and reached over and clapped Peter on the shoulder.

"It's nice to see you again Alexandra," Harry smirked.

Alex smiled politely, "It is isn't it?"

Peter looked at Alex through the corner of his eye and noticed the protruding frown on her face.

He sighed; it was going to be a long night.

When Osborn and Mary Jane decided it was time to leave, Peter never felt more relived as did Alex and Gwen. The night was late and had been filled with passive jokes and awkward pauses and loud laughs all from Harry. The girls had chatted amongst themselves as Peter tried to include himself in, even if they were talking about the latest cosmetic shop that had recently opened.

"Well, happy birthday Parker," Harry said and shook Peter's hand tightly, giving him a hard glare when Alex and Gwen weren't looking although MJ took it in with a curious glance.

"Thanks Harry, I'll see you around on campus," Peter said through clenched teeth.

"Sure, see you around," Harry replied.

Peter bid goodbye to MJ, who huddled around the two other girls, saying their goodbyes until Harry finally managed to get her to leave.

"We'll come see your show on next Friday MJ! I promise!" Alex shouted after her as the couple walked down the street. MJ smiled back at them before turning a corner with Harry, both vanishing from sight.

Gwen bit her lip and turned around with Alex, making eye contact with Peter.

They walked back to the apartment, stopping outside.

"Thanks for coming tonight Gwen, it was great…besides you know who showing up," Alex said, leaning against Gwen in their hug.

"It was fine, besides Osborn it was fun," she smiled.

Alex nodded and turned to Peter.

He scratched the back of his head and bit his lip, "Alex I think I might walk Gwen home, its dark and-"

"Oh that's okay I'll just catch a cab-"

"No it's alright, I will walk you home," Peter said a bit more sternly, looking at Gwen until she nodded.

"Okay, I guess I can save my money for one night," she half joked.

Alex looked at Peter, "Well okay…I'll see you tomorrow I guess?"

Peter nodded and bent down to give her a kiss, "thank you Lexie."

Alex gave him a soft smile, "I did nothing. Happy Birthday," she kissed him again before watching him and Gwen drift down the street. Alex stood in front of the apartment entrance, watching them waltz down the street until they disappeared.

She gulped and exhaled, moving back inside.

Alex made her way into her apartment, pulling her jacket off.

"Hey Jessica!" she yelled.

"Hey!" came the muffled reply of her sister. Jessica exited the bathroom with a tooth brush in hand and a towel wrapped around her wet frame.

"Sorry I just came out of the shower, how was dinner?" Jess asked as she un-wrapped her damp ginger hair from the purple towel.

"It was fun yeah, we enjoyed ourselves," Alex said, moving to the counter where a white envelope sat with the word _Peter_ scribbled across it.

"Where's Peter? I thought you would bring him back here," Jess asked.

"He walked Gwen home," she replied.

"Oh…I see."

"It's nothing like that don't worry I am completely fine," Alex said, "Besides he was just walking her home, that's a nice gesture."

Jessica nodded and smiled at her, "Whatever you say, I'm going to go get changed and then get straight to bed because I have a _very_, _very_ early morning tomorrow!"

Alex smiled and watched as her sister danced her way into her room, dropping the towel half way through to reveal her naked bottom.

"Come on Jess not cool!" Alex laughed as her naked sister shook her butt at her before slamming her door closed.

"Oh god," Alex mumbled. She picked up the white envelope and opened the door, stepping into the hallway.

She made her way to Peter's door and bent down, sliding the envelope containing a corny birthday card with Spider man on the front and a gift voucher to store Peter usually brought his camera film from.

She straightened up and went back to her room, sitting herself down on the couch and flicking the television on.


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello again! Here is what I promised, speed updating! Anyway, enjoy, you'll probably get annoyed in this chapter, I know I did writing it. _

Chapter Fourteen

"_Isn't it a pity, isn't it a shame_

_How we break each other's heart_

_And cause each other pain? _

_How we take each other's love without thinking anymore."_

_-George Harrison, Isn't it a pity._

"Breaking News: Spider man has encountered the masked man labelled the _'Green Goblin'_ for the fifth time now after stopping the green attacker from destroying Manhattan's iconic Central Park. It was early today when the masked vigilante confronted his new foe on the bridge opposite…."

Alex muted the television volume and threw the remote down. She grumbled her way into the kitchen and took a seat at the table getting back to her cold and soggy cereal.

Jessica was on patrol and Alex was stuck inside as it continued to pour down with rain outside.

The room was cold and Alex found herself glaring at the pretty brunette reporter, who stood in the harsh wind with an inside out umbrella, shouting at the camera man about how Spider man managed to fight the Green Goblin off thus only resulting in the injury of _few_ citizens.

"What are you doing?" she said to the TV as it brought up a picture of the Green Goblin in one of his attacks, hovering above the ground on that circular disk thing.

The image zoomed out so the reporter could come back on screen and go on about how Spider man did this and how Spider man did that.

"What is this city coming to?" Alex spat with a mouthful of soggy cereal flakes as she took in the video of a burning building and Spider man coming out of the smoke limping and covered in burns and blood.

A knock at the door broke her away from the Tv. She swallowed the rest of her cereal, leaving the bowl at the table and rushing over to the door.

She pulled it open to find Peter.

"Hey Peter!" she said.

Peter gave her a stiff smile and bent down to kiss her lightly on the lips, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and leg.

"How are you?" Peter asked as he slowly and uncomfortably made his way into her apartment, breathing a sigh of relief when he lowered himself onto the couch.

"You okay Pete?" Alex asked as she plopped down next to him, "You didn't come over yesterday, are you alright?"

Peter nodded and turned to look at Alex bringing her in for a long kiss.

"I'm fine," he said as Alex pulled away, "thank you for my present as well."

Alex smiled, "That's okay, I was hoping you liked it…did Gwen get back to hers okay the other night?" she asked as she snuggled up to him, although Peter winced and pulled away from her quickly, tumbling off the couch.

"Peter!"

Peter pushed himself up with a groan and leant against the side of the couch. Alex gaped at him.

"Are you okay?!"

"Yeah of course I am," he replied and cleared his throat.

Alex raised an eyebrow as she stumbled over to him, "Dude you just…why are you limping?"

She made him take off his jacket, revealing the red and angry bruises and cuts, all deep and jagged.

"Peter what happened?" she breathed, lightly touching the cuts making Peter hiss.

"I uh….I was hit by a car."

"You were hit by a car?!"

"I was skating across the street and a cab hit me."

"Holy shit Pete, let's get you to a hospital, come on!"

Peter grabbed Alex's shirt and pulled her back to him, making her back rest against his chest.

"Alex calm down I'm okay."

Alex sighed, "You're crazy."

Peter laughed, "I'm not the one who was ready to bolt out of here in their pyjamas."

Alex blushed, "Whatever, lie on the couch and I'll get you some bandages, you haven't even treated those cuts properly. When on earth did you get hit?"

"Yesterday," he lied.

Alex nodded and made her way into the bathroom, returning with a first aid kit.

Peter had stretched himself out on her couch, making it seem tiny compared to his large frame.

"Oh Peter, what the heck is wrong with you," she mumbled and helped him take off his jacket.

"It came out of nowhere I wasn't paying attention," he smiled.

Alex rolled her eyes and began to dab at the dried blood on his arm. Peter's hand gripped her upper arm and she stopped.

"Sorry, it's just…."

"I understand," Alex whispered back to him and continued to dab and bandage his arm.

Once it was finally finished, Alex helped Peter up.

"You know what, come over tonight at about six and I'll make us dinner," Peter said.

Alex looked at him incredulously, "You? Make dinner?"

Peter nodded.

"Seriously? You want to make dinner? I didn't know you could cook," she laughed.

"I can't but there are some things I learnt off Aunt May that I can whip out," he explained.

He laughed at her amused expression and stood up shakily.

"I'll leave the door open to just come on round okay? Six o'clock! I leave you with-" Peter checked his watch—"two hours to get ready!"

"Peter you're injured, you got hit by a car for crying out loud!"

"Nothing can stop me!" he responded.

Alex shook her head and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Just come okay, please?" he said, taking her hand and kissing her face.

"Okay I'll come," she said.

"Great! See you at six!" he said happily and limped out of her apartment, closing the door behind him.

Alex shook her head and groaned, falling back onto the couch.

"I'm going over to Peter's in a couple of minutes Jess," Alex informed as Jessica began to make dinner.

"Oh really? Good, I can leave spaghetti for tomorrow night," she said.

Alex smiled as she smoothed down her casual blue dress. Her hair was down and she was placing earrings in her ears, fumbling around before having to leave.

"Do you know why he asked you to come around?" Jess asked.

"Can't he invite me over for dinner? He is my boyfriend after all," Alex replied.

"I know that don't worry, you don't think you'll be doing, stuff?"

"Stuff? What are you…seriously Jess? No we are not having sex, besides we can't at the moment anyway, Peter got hit by a car yesterday."

"He got hit by a car?!" Jess exclaimed and slammed the microwavable dinner on the counter.

"Yes."

"What is wrong with that kid?"

"I don't even know myself; at least Dad doesn't live in New York with us. He hates Peter," Alex laughed.

Jessica nodded, "Oh boy he does."

Alex smiled and looked at the clock noticing it was just a little after six.

"Well I'm off, if you need me I'm just a few doors down," Alex said and kissed her sister's cheek.

"Same here, have fun sweetheart. Tell Peter I say hi," Jess said.

Alex waved goodbye and exited through the door, making her way to Peters.

"Hello Peter I'm here..."

Alex had swung the door open so quickly Gwen and Peter didn't have time to break apart.

Alex stood confused at the door as she dropped her hand from the doorknob. He face fell as she stared at her boyfriend and friend holding each other.

"Oh…" she breathed, "Oh no…"

Gwen stepped away from Peter and moved to walk near Alex but Alex's expression made her stop. Pure sadness was etched onto her face as she looked between the two.

"What…what is going..." she couldn't even put together a sentence. She looked desperately towards Peter, who didn't meet her eyes.

"Alex it's-"

"Not what I think?" Alex finished.

Gwen watched her as Alex's eyes began to fill.

"You could've said something you know, instead of leading me into this," she spat.

Alex paused and stood in the doorway, looking at the floor before glancing up. She rolled her head to the side and took a deep breath, pursing her lips. She glanced up at the ceiling and wished something would fall through it, hitting her in the head or Peter and Gwen...she didn't mind.

"Do you still love each other?" she asked after a few moments, sniffling. She wiped at her eyes and then lowered her shaking hand into a clenched fist. The room was silent for a few minutes.

Peter began to shake his head but Gwen stayed still. Alex and Gwen looked at each other, both with sad eyes and Gwen's began to water.

Alex's stomach fell and she looked desperately at Peter, "Why didn't you just tell me?" she whispered.

Peter watched her with sad eyes. He shook his head again, "Lexie wait…"

"Don't talk to me again okay Parker?" she sighed tiredly. Her voice was cold and strained.

She then looked at Gwen, "You just had to didn't you? Why do this to me Gwen?"

Alex sighed and swallowed the hatred building up in her throat, "Thank you, the both of you thank you, for everything you have done and everything you just have done! Thanks a lot Peter Parker! And go to hell Gwen Stacy, you overachieving twat."

"Come on Alex you haven't even let me explain, I just-!"

"Shut up!"

Gwen had screamed at Peter so harshly that even Alex was surprised.

"Fine Alex, go on then. Leave," Gwen said to the heartbroken girl at the door.

Alex blinked and sniffed again.

"Bye Gwen," she mumbled and then looked at Peter, not even bothering to say his name.

Alex slammed his door shut with all he strength she could muster.

She hobbled her way back to the apartment, wondering how many times she had stormed away from Peter's apartment in the past time she had known him.

Alex banged her fist against Jessica's door furiously, calling for her in a tired voice.

Jessica opened the door to find her damp faced sister, clawing at the door.

_Not again_, Jessica thought, thinking back to the last time she had found Alex crying from Peter's apartment.

She ushered her sister inside and brought her over to the couch.

"What happened?"

Alex managed to make out the words '_Peter_' and '_Gwen_' before sniffling into her sister's shoulder.

Jessica sighed and looked towards the phone.

Their mother was not going to be happy.

It just took everything to get Peter and Gwen's kissing image out of Alex's head before she could finally bring herself to pull away from her sister and retreat into her bedroom.

"I'm going to bed, wake me up when it's like...the end of the year or something," Alex mumbled and dropped onto her bed without closing the door. Jessica watched her sister lay completely still before turning to the television.

She shook her head and sighed, "Jesus Christ..._teenagers_."


	15. Chapter 15

_Hola Bonita's! I'm so sorry that I've not posted anything lately, there's no excuse for it! But anyway, here you go, I'll probably upload the next chapter right after this because and then please expect much more in the next few days, I promise with all my heart! Thank you to the lovely follows and reviews, it's so lovely that someone appreciates this little gem, and to whoever wanted to shed a tear in the last chapter, bless your heart! _

_Anyway, onwards with the story ~ Warning as well, stuff is about to...get intense in this chapter._

Chapter fifteen

"_I watched you suffer a dull aching pain _

_Now you decided to show me the same _

_No sweeping exits or off stage lines _

_Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind _

_-The Rolling Stones, Wild Horses._

A bitter chill settled over New York during the evening of Friday the 7th of April, exactly a week and a half after the falling out of Gwen and Alex, and the resentment from Alex towards Peter.

There was something wrong in the air as Alex watched Mary Jane make her debut on Broadway. She was dressed in jeans and a button up shirt amongst the audience of well-dressed men and women. She wished she had a pair of pearls to throw on stage.

She had sent flowers to MJ's dressing room and beamed up at the red head when she bowed at the end of the production, throwing in a few whistles to get her attention although her seat was far back so she would have to stand up and cartwheel down the aisle just to be noticed - but she couldn't embarrass MJ like that. She exited the theatre quickly, avoiding the throng of people wanting autographs and racing to the side walk, Alex began to march home. She would give her red headed friend a call in a couple days, after MJ had the chance to kick away hysterical fans and agents.

It was just Alex and Jessica now, and Jessica was all Alex needed. Her sister and her mother and her studies –Peter Parker was merely a crack in the concrete side walk.

Alex entered the apartment after running home in the dark, something Jessica disapproved of immensely.

"Hey Jess," Alex greeted as she stepped through the door. Jessica looked up from her mixing bowl and set the cookie dough filled pot aside.

"Hey girlie, how was the musical?" she asked.

"Fantastic! MJ is brilliant," Alex smiled.

Jessica's day off had been uneventful as the two sisters had spent it baking and watching old movies.

Alex made her way into the kitchen and took the tub of ice cream out of the freezer, along with the freshly baked cookies Jessica had placed on the bench. Jessica watched as Alex over indulged in the food she had made and rolled her eyes.

"Is this how you deal with grief?"

"Grief? Who am I grieving?" Alex wondered, settling herself down on the couch and turning on the television.

"Yours and Peter's relationship perhaps?"

Alex shook her head and breathed out angrily.

"Leave me alone," she said, her mouth full of chunky vanilla and cookie.

"Remember Mom is coming some time tonight," Jess said although Alex ignored her. Jessica sighed and went into her room, leaving the cookie dough for Alex to deal with; she'd eat it raw anyway.

"People suck," she said aloud to herself, "Everyone sucks."

The kettle started boiling making Alex jump, "Now the kitchen is talking back to me."

_"Stop talking to yourself!"_ Jessica yelled from her room.

Alex rolled her eyes and stood up from the couch and placed the empty bowl in the sink. She turned back to the cookie covered spoon and sighed. She picked up the large bowl and began to shovel the dough into her mouth.

Suddenly the phone rang.

_"Get the phone!"_

Alex complied with her sister's wishes and left the cookie batter on the kitchen counter, quickly swallowing the remainder of it in her mouth and picking up the phone.

"Hello?" she said.

"Lexie? You actually answered!" her mother said back.

"Hi Mom."

"Hello?" her mother asked, not hearing her. The phone line was beginning to crackle.

"Mom I'm here!"

"Lexie?" Mary said, wondering if the line had gone dead.

"Mom what are you doing? You sound out of breath," Alex said, leaning against the counter.

"I'm running!" she answered, finally hearing Alex.

Alex's eyebrows furrowed, "You're running?"

"GET YOUR SISTER!" she suddenly screamed.

Alex pulled the phone away from her ear as her mother's voice pierced through the phone. She stared at the mobile in her hand before quickly rushing to her sister's room.

"Jessica!" she banged on the door.

The door flew open and Jessica came out in her uniform.

"What?"

"I've been called into the station –I need to leave now!"

Alex stopped her sister before she could run past her and handed her the phone.

"It's Mom!"

Jessica held the phone up to her ear, her face dropping. Rushed words were exchanged as Jessica's expression grew more frantic as the seconds passes.

"Get off the bridge now!"

Alex watched in confusion as Jessica hung up the phone and threw it onto the couch.

Jessica picked up the remote and turned on the TV in a hurry.

The images that met them were horrific. Helicopter footage of The Brooklyn Bridge and people stuck in cars and the lane ways popped up on the screen as the camera's zoomed in to display Spider man fighting the Green Goblin…but the Green Goblin was holding something, something that was struggling and screaming.

Jessica exhaled and left Alex's shocked side.

"Mom is on the bridge, she made it to an officer though. I need to go!" Jessica said and picked up her gun belt and placing it around her hips where it normally sat.

"Jess, please what's happening?!" Alex demanded as she made her way to the window, only to see the bright lights of police helicopters whizzing past the buildings of New York, making their way to the bridge.

"What's was Mom doing on the bridge anyway?"

Jessica scowled, "It's Friday night Alexandra, she was coming to stay with us!" she rubbed her face, "I can't stay here, don't leave this apartment!"

"Jessica, please be careful!" Alex begged and ran to her sister, engulfing her in a tight hug.

"I'll be fine, just don't leave! Promise me!" she demanded, the veins in her neck becoming visible as she practically screamed the words in Alex's face.

Alex nodded as she tried to keep herself calm. Jessica gave her one last look before bolting out of the apartment, already speaking into the communicator on her shoulder.

Alex turned back to the television as she tried to register what was happening. Her mother was stranded on a bridge and her sister was heading down there with a squad by now, ready to take on the situation.

She sank down into the couch and watched the images and videos splatter across the screen.

_"The current situation on the Brooklyn Bridge seems to be calming down with the help of Spider man trying to convince the Green Goblin-"_

_"-There are hostages being taken on the bridge by the Green Goblin-"_

_"—there is a current toll of two deaths-"_

Alex continued to watch as the night went on, gripping the remote and phone in her hands, waiting for Jessica or her mother to call her.

Waiting for Peter to call her, or Gwen or Mary Jane or even Harry.

The sky outside was dark and the city lights and helicopters illuminated the sky, surrounding the Goblin on the bridge and its stranded citizens.

The footage then suddenly flashed to the Bridge again, zooming in to show Spider man swinging around the Goblin, only to have the hostage struggled and reach out to Spider man.

The hostage looked familiar.

Alex had to lean forward and study the television before letting out a large scream and flinging herself back into the couch.

"Gwen…"

Gwen. Gwen Stacy was on the bridge. Gwen Stacy was being held hostage. She was the one dangling over the side…

A sudden wave of nausea came over Alex as she began to gag. She watched helplessly as the reporter continued to rave about how Spider man looked like he was trying to stop the Goblin when the footage showed the Goblin actually beginning to hand over Gwen.

_"This just in, the Green Goblin has thrown his hostage over the side of the Bridge…"_

It fell on deaf ears.

Just as Spider man went to reach out to Gwen, she was thrust backwards by the Goblin, tricking Spider man.

Alex could see her face in her head as the world began to move slowly. Time was breaking down as she registered what was happening as she watched the tiny image of Gwen hurtling off the side of the bridge.

Alex was choking, her throat was clogged and she couldn't breathe. It was like she was watching a movie and it wasn't happening, but it was and Gwen was falling and she kept falling until suddenly she stopped.

She couldn't see the web from Spider man's hand but she could see that Gwen was dangling from her foot, face down towards the water.

She was fine. She was okay.

Spider man helped her up as the Goblin flew away and Spider man swung to the bottom of the bridge.

The screen changed to show a reporter hurriedly rushing with his camera man through police officers who tried to hold him back but failed.

Spider man was crouched down on the ground, surrounded by a circle of people. The shot was a moderate close up of the two as Gwen lay in Spider man's arms although she wasn't moving and her eyes were open but…her neck wasn't proper.

A string of incoherent words tumbled out of Alex's mouth as bile rose in her throat.

She leapt of the couch but there was nowhere to go. Gwen was dead and there was nothing she could…

Gwen was dead and…

She was dead and never coming back.

She stumbled for the sink as she vomited all over the counter. Slouching into it her hand came down and smudged across the acidic once cookie dough. Alex stared at her vomit covered hand as she slid down the cabinet, grasping the tea towel in an effort to wipe her hand.

She crawled as far as she could before making it back to the couch, lifting her head up to find that the reporter had been pushed out of the police circle and the camera was no longer rolling, instead a sullen looking Kathy Burkhart sat in the newsroom of Channel six as she stared at the camera, gripping her notes in her hands.

"The death toll has reached a total of three people with many civilians injured. The Green Goblin has vanished from the sight of the bridge; officers all over Manhattan are searching for him. There is no leading information whether the hostage is alive or not."

"'_Thanks a lot Peter Parker! And go to hell Gwen Stacy, you overachieving twat!'"_

"'_Fine Alex, go on then. Leave.'"_

Her last words to her had been out of pure anger.

She couldn't say sorry now or even make up with the blonde girl no; Gwen Stacy lay lying dead on the bridge after being tossed over the side.

The image of Gwen's twisted neck and frame kept replaying over in Alex's head.

Where was Peter? Did he know? Was he watching the news?

Where was Jessica? Her mother?

Surely Jessica and her mother couldn't be the other two that were dead alongside Gwen.

"Please no, no no no no," Alex whispered into thin air, "_Gwen_…"

Twenty minutes passed before Alex could comprehend that she was even breathing. She had been holding her breath for so long watching the Tv flick back and forth between the bridge and newsroom, obviously trying to get more footage of Gwen and Spider man.

She contemplated going to Peter's apartment or calling him. She even contemplated grabbing her coat and running down town trying to find her sister or mother but she couldn't leave, she didn't know what to do.

She could almost see Gwen's face through Spider man's eyes. The look of relief that would've graced his features under his mask when the Goblin began to hand Gwen over and the terror that would've overcome him when the Goblin suddenly threw her off.

Air would rush around her as her pale arms covered in a stylish pea green coat flailed effortlessly, trying to grasp nothing as she fell.

The split thought of safety when Spider man's web shot down through the air and latched onto her ankle.

The sudden jolt and then snap of her neck as all thoughts escaped her mind and everything went black.

Alex stared out the window, wondering if Gwen was still lying on the bridge with strangers swarming around her.

There was a flash of red outside the window and Alex had to blink. In her shocked stupor she got up from the couch and scrambled towards the window. She unlatched the locks and lifted it up, sticking her head out as a few tears fell down her face.

There was nothing there.

Alex turned her head and then looked left out towards the city before exhaling a deep breath and slamming the window shut.

When she turned around, Spider man stood standing in the middle of the apartment.

Alex's back made contact with the wall as she placed a hand over her heart.

The added shock on top of her grief made her body want to faint.

"Spid-spi-i-d-d…" her lip quivered as she began to silently cry. She was still staring at Spider man as he swayed on the spot before dropping to the ground. It took Alex a few moments before she made her way to him, looking down at him as he lay on her floor.

She crouched down next to him and took in his appearance. His suit was burnt and a few pieces were missing and ripped, showing pink flesh underneath. His gloved hands stretched out from him, the hands that had held Gwen not even half an hour ago.

Without thinking her hands trailed up to his mask.

Spider man breathed deeply as his body began to shut down from the fight he had recently endured, not realising Alex's hands were ghosting over his covered face.

Alex didn't breathe as she unrolled the bottom of the mask. She pulled it up over his mouth, staring at the cut lips before Spider man's hand reached up and stopped her.

She stared into the eyes of the mask, wondering if he was looking at her too.

He didn't speak as he slowly let go of her hand, releasing the tight grip and Alex then began rolling the mask back up.

A nose, then eyes…

Alex flew back.

Her elbow hit the hard wooden floor as her mind began to speed up like an overheated computer. Everything was happening to fast, too quickly and all at once.

Something was compressing her chest and she couldn't breathe, she genuinely couldn't breathe and she didn't know what to do.

Peter Parker was Spider man.


End file.
